300g can mandarin oranges, drained, reserving juice
600ml ready made (or home made) custard
whipped cream and shreds of orange rind, to decorate
caster sugar, to sprinkling
Method :
Spread the
halved sponge cakes with apricot conserve and arrange in the base of a
deep serving bowl or glass dish. Sprinkle over the ratafia. Break up the
jelly into a heatproof measuring jug, add the juice from the canned
mandarins and dissolve in a pan of hot water or in the microwave. Stir
until the liquid clears. Make up to 600ml with ice cold water, stir well
and leave to cool for up to 30 minutes. Scatter the mandarin oranges
over the cakes and ratafias.
Pour the
jelly over the mandarin oranges, cake and ratafias and chill for 1 hour,
or more. When the jelly has set, pour the custard over the top and chill
again. When ready to serve, pipe the whipped cream over the custard.
Wash the orange rind shreds, sprinkle them with caster sugar and use to
decorate the trifle. An unusual
variation on a traditional trifle - of course, you can add a little
alcohol if you wish.
