An English culinary tradition, trifle has become popular in South Africa because of the English part of our history and because of the festive character of the dessert.

This festive desserts usually consists of fruit, sponge fingers soaked in sherry, custard and cream, but everyone has a recipe and there are strong opinions about the perfect trifle. 

Chef Eric suggest a slightly more sophisticated version for your Christmas meal this year - one that goes beautifully with the 2015 La Motte MCC.

Tipsy Cherry Trifle

Yield 8 individual servings.

Ingredients

8 cherries per person

Chocolate sponge

14 eggs (separated)

400 g sugar

100 g  cocoa powder

40 g flour

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together.

Sieve the cocoa and the flour together.

In another bowl whisk the egg whites and sugar.

Slowly fold in the flour and cocoa into the yolk and sugar mixture.

Now carefully fold in the egg white mixture.

Bake in a in at 200 degrees for 7 minutes.

Cherry jelly

500 g Cherry liquor

6 leaves gelatine

Bloom the gelatine in ice water.

In a saucepan, heat the liquor to 60 degrees.

Squeeze out excess water from softened gelatine.

Whisk into liquor.

Poor onto a plastic tub and leave to set for at least two hours.

Sweetened cream

250 ml double cream

80 g Castor sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk till soft peaks form.

Pastry Cream

1000 g Milk

150 g Vanilla sugar

100 g Castor sugar

100 g Cornstarch

240 g Yolks

100 g Butter

Boil milk and vanilla sugar.

Cream the sugar, cornstarch and yolks in mixer until light and fluffy

Temper yolks into milk. Whisk rapidly until mix comes to a boil. This makes a lot of pastry cream but it can be refrigerated for a few days and used in a multitude of desserts.

Assemble the trifle as individuals or as one big trifle.

Layer all the ingredients into a glass bowl or glasses making a layer of each and finishing with the cream. Garnish with the cherries and sprinkle cocoa powder over the top.