Trifle

Back when I was a child my Mum used to make trifle, and I ate it under sufferance. As I grew older, my new M-I-L also made trifle. It was always one of the desserts of choice at Christmas time.
My M-I-L's trifle was so much better than my Mum's, and it  took me years to work out why, as I watched her make it one year. It was many years before I tried to make one for us. It involved making sponge cake, something I had never been good at so had avoided like the plague for years.

So about ten years ago I thought I would try. First to tackle was that dreaded sponge cake, so out came my trusty Women's Weekly cake book. Perfect! My mum would make sponge cakes without a recepie, and so would my M-I-L, but I found I needed the little hints written in the book. Since then I have made a few sponge cakes.

When I first started making trifle, I put strawberries in it, but a chat with my friend has led me to now use peaches, nectarines and blueberries. The strawberries go to mush too easily.

So my trifle goes like this:-

1. Sponge cake spread with home made strawberry jam, then sprinkled with coconut. Something learned from M-I-L.

2. Jelly - preferably red. Port wine is always good. I always use a packet jelly, but one day I may try one from scratch.

3. Thick home made custard.

4. Fruit - fresh yellow peaches and nectarines, added blueberries, all drizzled  with maple syrup and a touch of cinnamon.

5. Whipped cream flavoured with vanilla and with a touch of icing sugar.

The top is finally sprinkled with blueberries and coconut.

Its better left for a day if you can, then the flavours will meld together better. The sponge cake can be sprinkled with some kind of alcohol to taste too if desired, sherry is always good. Yummo!

An Upside Down Tart

I've made this tart a few times now and it is delicious! It's an upside down honeyed pear and  macadamia tart. It was a recepie I spotted being made on the Lifestyle Food Channel some years ago, so Googled and found it in writing. I've tried Googling now to share the recepie, but I seem to be having trouble finding this particular one. Lucky I saved to my favourite recepie book at the time.

It's taken me a few goes to get it right, and it can be a bit tricky as it needs to turn upside down at just the right time. Too hot and it goes everywhere, too cold and it sticks and will not come out of it's cooking dish.

 Its started off with butter, honey and lime zest, melted and placed in a foil lined tart tray. Then there is the layer of pears. Finally there is the base mix of blitzed macadamia nuts, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and more lime zest. The lime zest gives it a lively zing ! It's baked in the oven, then left to sit for a while before tuning out.

I find it best served with some whipped cream and a lime syrup. Yummy!