CHEAT'S PEACH & STRAWBERRY TRIFLE, alcohol option, cheat's option

Get ready for the next heat wave with a cheat's trifle...

Peaches & Strawberries make a fine trifle combo

Trifles are pretty easy to put together at the best of times; so long as you have all the ingredients standing by, creating layers in a pretty bowl is a cinch.

This one is utterly yummy with a delicious fruit combo, a touch of alcohol if wanted, and layers of soft cake, fruit, custard and cream.  It's gorgeous to eat, even better if it's ice cold on a hot day.

Making custard is a pain in the neck even if it comes out of a packet but M&S tinned custard is now a staple in the 67 household.  Quick home-made sponges or one-bowl Madeira Cake also take time but if you're using a good supermarket version of either, no one will notice.

It helps if your peaches are ripe and peeled.  If not, drop them in boiling water for a few minutes, then peel and cut into wedges.

The one thing 67 recommends with this recipe is to make your own strawberry compote using the best of season berries.  But if you really don't want to, a jar of good strawberry jam will be great. 

A cheat's trifle will obviously cost more but save on time and effort...a boon if temperatures are soaring.  It travels well in a well-covered dish.

Cost: max £5'ish, much less if cake is home-made and ripen-at-home peaches are used

Serves: 4-5

Ingreds:

3-4 ripe peaches (ripen at home are fine and are cheaper)

1 punnet strawberries

home-made or supermarket Madeira Cake 

1 tin custard or equiv home-made or fresh/packet

1 tsp vanilla

few teaspoons sherry or orange juice

300-600ml double cream

3-4 tb icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Garnish: lightly toasted almond flakes (opt)

Method:

1. Advance Prep: Put the custard in the fridge, preferable overnight but ideally a couple of days in advance
2. If peaches are not ripe, drop them whole in boiling water 1 minute, counting 1-potato-2-potatpo) before cooling, peeling and cutting into wedges; braise wedges in a bit of butter until soft; set aside, sprinkle with sherry, cool. 
3. Make Strawberry Compote: Put a heavy-bottomed frying pan over med-high heat.  Cut off any bruised or rotten bits of berries; remove green leaves, quarter.  Add fruit to the pan with a bit of sugar (try a minimum amount first, say a teaspoon or tablespoon) and a small amount of water or orange juice - enough so the fruit doesn't stick to the pan.  Cook until the berries begin to pop and the juices begin to run.  Add vanilla extract. Taste; you'll be surprised by its sweetness but if necessary, add more sugar, bit by bit.  Continue cooking until fruit reaches a jammy consistency.  Cool; store in fridge.
4. Steps 1-3 can be done in advance
5. When ready to construct the trifle, cut cake in medium slices.  Place a few in the bottom of an (ideally a see through) serving bowl, breaking to fit; scatter over a little sherry; add a layer of peaches.  
6. Mix custard with vanilla; pour a thin layer over the peaches.
7. Cover with a layer of strawberry compote then a layer of custard; top with   cake; repeat until a final layer of custard is reached
8. Whip cream until soft peaks form; whisk in sugar and vanilla until peaks stiffen; pipe or spoon decoratively over the top of the trifle
9. Scatter generously with toasted almonds

This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.