I’m really excited to be posting my Starry Night Trifle recipe as I think you’re going to love it!

I know that, with lots of friends and family round at Christmas, it’s really helpful to have a show stopper of dessert up your sleeve that doesn’t take long to make but looks amazing. And this trifle is just that! Although it needs to be made over time, to allow the jelly to set, it is really simple to make yet it looks special enough to get lots of oohs and aahs as you bring it to the table.

Here are a few tips to ensure your success:

Start the trifle well in advance to ensure the jelly has time to set.

Make sure that the first layer of jelly is fully set before you add the sponge stars and the remaining jelly, but don’t leave it too long before you do this or the jelly in the jug will be too set to fill the bowl nicely.

Make sure that the blueberry compote is chilled before you top the custard with it to reduce the amount it leaks into the custard (although this does look quite pretty!)

Top with the cream just before serving for the best results.

Don’t over whip the cream, you want it to reach soft peak stage.

I spooned the cream over the compote, allowing the cream to slide slowly off the spoon to give the effect you see in the photo.

I think this trifle makes a great boxing day dessert, although it would also be good served as an alternative to Christmas pudding on the Big Day. And if you’re looking for yet more inspiration then why not check out my Lemon Syllabub with Amaretti or my Molten Chocolate Pots. I’m also going to make sure that I have some of my No Churn Baileys Ice Cream and my No Churn Salted Caramel Swirl Ice Cream in the freezer. Perfect for unexpected guests… if I can leave it alone!

5 from 1 vote

Starry Night Trifle

Course: Christmas and New Year, Dessert

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 4 hrs

Total Time: 4 hrs 25 mins

Servings: 10 people

Author: Anna Bloomfield

A gorgeous show stopper of a dessert, this Starry Night Trifle is a stunning alternative to Christmas Pudding or would be perfect served on Boxing Day.

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Ingredients

• 3 packets of blackcurrant jelly (to make 1.5 litres)
• 1 Madeira sponge (or any dense, plain vanilla sponge)
• 800 ml ready-made custard
• 300 ml double heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• Silver or gold stars or balls to decorate

For the compote

• 700 g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

• Make the jelly according to packet instructions. Leave to cool. Pour a little of the jelly into your trifle dish so that it covers the base and comes about three cm up the side of the bowl. Place both the trifle bowl and the remaining jelly (in a jug) into the fridge.

For the compote

• While the jelly is setting put the berries and a tiny splash of water into a pan and place over a low heat. When the berries begin to burst increase the heat and add the sugar and lemon juice. Simmer gently with the lid off, stirring occasionally, until the compote has thickened slightly and when you drag a wooden spoon through it you can briefly see the bottom of the pan. Leave to cool then chill.

To assemble

• Slice the madeira cake into 0.5cm deep slices. Using a star shaped cookie cutter* cut out enough stars to span the perimeter of your bowl.
• When the jelly in the trifle bowl has set and the remaining jelly is very nearly set (about 2-3 hours), place the madeira stars around the edge of the bowl, sliding their bottom point into the jelly to support them. Pour in the nearly set jelly and chill until completely firm.
• Spoon over the custard and level with the back of a spoon then carefully spoon over the chilled blueberry compote.
• Whip the cream with the sugar until it forms soft peaks then spoon or pipe to top the compote. Sprinkle over decorations of your choice.
• Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

Ideally the sponge stars will be around half the height of the finished trifle. My stars are just over 6 cm (2½) inches high. If you are scaling the recipe down use a cookie cutter that gives stars that are around 4½ cm (nearly 2 inches) high.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal (17%) | Carbohydrates: 47g (16%) | Protein: 6g (12%) | Fat: 15g (23%) | Saturated Fat: 8g (40%) | Cholesterol: 112mg (37%) | Sodium: 242mg (10%) | Potassium: 271mg (8%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 25g (28%) | Vitamin A: 670IU (13%) | Vitamin C: 8.2mg (10%) | Calcium: 156mg (16%) | Iron: 1.3mg (7%)

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