Meema’s Sherry Trifle 2019

Avery’s Meema’s Recipe, Singapore, 1970s

Ingredients

• 1 Walnut Butter Cake, 8”x8” – Cut into pieces, 1” width, by 1” length
• 2 large cans Fruit Cocktail (with peaches, not pineapple) [May substitute with Sliced Peaches]
• 3 TB Rum + 2 TB Sherry + 1 TB Brandy
• 1.14 litres UHT Milk
• Bird’s Eye Custard Powder (N.B. 1 TB = 2 Dessertspoons!):
• 1 ½ cups Whipping Cream (e.g. 38% fat Whipping Cream, from Phoon Huat)
• 1 tsp Icing Sugar

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1st Layer: 2 TB Custard Powder + 1.5 TB Sugar + 1 pint UHT Milk (570ml) 2nd Layer: 2 ½ TB Custard Powder + 1.5 TB Sugar + 1 pint UHT Milk (570ml)

Directions

1. 2 cans Fruit Cocktail:
   • Drain Fruit till as dry as possible. Pour Syrup from can into a bowl.
   • Select & separate the Red Cherries from the Fruit Cocktail – reserve for decoration
   • Set aside 1 ½ cups Syrup. Add 3 TB Rum + 2 TB Sherry + 1 TB Brandy, to the Syrup

2. Cut the Walnut Butter Cake into 1”inch x 1”slices

3. Cook the Bird’s Eye Custard with UHT Milk
   • 1st Layer: Softer wobbly creamy custard for the bottom layer
   • 2nd Layer: Firmer custard for the final top layer (add extra Custard Powder)
   1. Blend the Custard Powder into a liquid, with 6 TB of the measured Milk
   2. Pour the Milk into a small saucepan.
      Add in the Sugar to the Milk. Bring the Milk to a boil, till fine foam bubbles are seen at the side
   3. While continually stirring the hot milk over a stove, slowly pour the blended Custard Powder liquid into the hot milk. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and is boiling.
   4. Add ½ tsp Vanilla Extract & continue to stir to mix it in. Then turn off the fire.
4. Choose a pretty Crystal Bowl, start the 1st layering:
   1. Place a layer of Walnut Cake slices on the bottom of the bowl. In a circular pattern.
      • Use a tablespoon to pour the Liquor Syrup over each cake slice, to fully soak the cake.
   2. Spoon a layer of Fruit Cocktail to fill spaces between the Cake.
   3. Pour the freshly cooked Softer Custard over the cake & Fruit Cocktail.
5. Start the 2nd layering:
   • Cake -> Fruit
   • Use a clean pot: Cook the 2nd batch of Firmer Custard for the final topping

6. Put Whipping Cream in a clean bowl. Add 1 tsp Icing Sugar to the Cream. Whip the Cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.

7. Cover the Trifle with Whipped Cream.
   • Decorate with the Red Cherries
8. Optional: Add fresh Blueberries in the fruit layers

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Meema’s Sherry Trifle 2018

• circa 1970

Ingredients

• 1 can fruit cocktail (with peaches, not pineapple)
• 3 Tbsp sherry
• 1 walnut butter cake
• Bird’s Custard powder
• UHT milk
• 1.5 cups whipping cream (e.g. 38% fat whipping cream, from Phoon Huat)
• 1 tsp icing sugar

Method

1. 1 can fruit cocktail:
   • Separate fruit from syrup and reserve both separately
   • Pour syrup from can into a bowl and add 3 Tbsp sherry to the syrup
   • Select & separate the red cherries from the fruit cocktail - reserve for decoration
2. Cut the walnut butter cake into 1 inch thick slices
3. Cook the Bird’s Custard with UHT milk
   • Softer wobbly creamy custard for the bottom layers (add more milk)
   • Firmer custard for the final top layer
4. Choose a pretty crystal bowl in which to add the layers:
   1. Place a layer of walnut cake slices on the bottom of the bowl.
   2. Use a tablespoon / chinese soup spoon to pour the sherry syrup over each cake slice
   3. Spoon a layer of fruit cocktail over the cake, filling spaces between the cake
   4. Pour the softer custard over the fruit cocktail
   5. Repeat the layers above:
      • Cake + sherry syrup -> fruit -> (softer) custard
      • Use the firmer custard for the final topping
      • Until bowl is full within 1 cm from the top (leave space for the cream topping)
5. Put whipping cream in a clean bowl. Add 1 tsp icing sugar to the cream. Whip the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Cover the trifle with whipped cream.
   • Decorate with the red cherries

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Optional:

• Add fresh blueberries in the fruit layers