Quince and Hazelnut Sherry Trifle
Ingredients
1/2 quantity brown butter sponge (page 52), baked in a 20 cm round tin
30 g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
20 g cacoa nibs
Custard:
500 g double (heavy) cream
75 g full-cream (whole) milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod reserved (or paste)
6 egg yolks, at room temperature
60 g raw (demerara) sugar
Jelly:
500 g poached quinces, in syrup (page 211)
2 tsp gelatine powder
100 g Pedro Ximénez or sweet sherry
Whipped cream topping:
250 g double (heavy) cream
Method
Make the sponge first, then leave it for a day or so to stale a little bit. A stale sponge will absorb more liquid. Because you’re doing a half recipe, the bake time will be reduced. Check the sponge after 15 minutes in the oven and bake just until light golden brown.
To make the custard, combine the cream, milk, cinnamon, orange zest and vanilla seeds and pod in a heavy-based saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over a medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for a few minutes, then strain it into a bowl and discard the solids.
Lightly whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl. Gradually add the warm cream mixture, a little at a time, gently stirring until well combined and smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan and cook over a low–medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture reaches 82 C or until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain into a bowl, cover with baking paper touching the surface and refrigerate overnight.
To make the jelly, strain the quinces, reserving the syrup. Combine 100 g quince syrup with the gelatine powder and leave to bloom for 5-10 minutes. Gently heat another 300 g of syrup with the Pedro Ximénez, add the syrup and gelatine bloom and whisk well. Set aside to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate if not using immediately. Place any remaining quince syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat and reduce to the consistency of runny honey. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble your trifle.
To assemble, trim the sponge to fit the base of your trifle bowl then sit it in the bottom of the bowl. Using a skewer or sharp knife, make holes in the surface of the sponge to allow the jelly to soak into the sponge. You can help it along by pouring half of the jelly onto the sponge and then using the skewer to guide it into place. Pour the rest of the jelly on top and then spoon in the custard, spreading it evenly across the surface. Lay the poached quince over that, ensuring it’s placed in an even layer right to the edges.
Whisk the cream to firm peaks and then use a spatula or large spoon to dollop it over the top of your quinces. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and cacao nibs over the cream and finish with a drizzle of the reduced quince syrup. Refrigerate overnight to set.
The next day, serve the trifle in bowls. Take care to give each person a full cross-section of the trifle to ensure they get all the elements.
