Savour the smiles when you serve up this show-stopper. Sweet layers of biscuit, fruit and mascarpone make this no mere trifle!
500g frozen raspberries
¼ cup sugar
½ cup raspberry or any berry jam
¼ cup brandy
1 cup pitted morello cherries, drained (retain the liquid – see ingredient below)
1 cup cherry syrup (from the jar the morello cherries are packed in)
1 packet (200g) Savoiardi biscuits
1 x 500ml jar Farro custard
500g mascarpone
200ml cream, lightly whipped
2 punnets fresh fruit such as raspberries and blueberries
Icing sugar for dusting
Mint leaves for garnishing
For the raspberry mix: Put the frozen raspberries in a saucepan with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Heat with a lid on to dissolve the sugar until the fruit is cooked through, approx. 10 mins. Cool before using, then add 1 cup of the pitted cherries
For the custard mix: Whisk together the custard and the mascarpone until smooth. Set aside
For the dipping syrup: Heat the jam with brandy and 1 cup of the cherry syrup (from the jar of pitted cherries) until the raspberry jam has dissolved. Cool before using
To assemble: Dip a Savoiardi biscuit in the dipping syrup for 5 seconds and put into the base of your trifle bowl. Repeat until the base is covered (cut the biscuits to size if need be). Top with a third of the raspberry mix then spoon over a third of the custard mix. Repeat the process twice more. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the trifle to set up
When ready to serve, top with the cream, scatter over the fresh berries, dust with icing sugar and garnish with mint leaves