Jubilee!

Call me old fashioned but I do like a good knees up and I know many folk will be planning some kind of shindig for the upcoming Jubilee celebrations in June. Whatever your take on the Royals I think many of us will also agree that the Queen has given her whole life to being a representative of the country, some might say she has been amply rewarded for that but I think it takes a certain stoicism to put your best foot forward every single time you are in the public eye, which in her case was much of it. So, I have no qualms about raising a glass to Her Maj, in the same way I felt unspeakably sad when she sat alone in the church at Prince Philips funeral. Her’s has been a singularly lonely existence despite being surrounded by troops, staff and family.

The celebration pud for this event has been voted for as a trifle, no ordinary trifle but a golden mango and citrus trifle. The trifle, I think, is a fitting choice, on Sundays, high days and holidays trifle has been there as a typically British celebratory desert. I shall be on my jollies during the celebrations but if I was to be throwing a hoolie it would be my take on my Grandad’s Whisky Laird Trifle. I am pretty sure the Queen would approve with her love of Scotland it would bring a taste of the Highlands.

Hailing from Glasgow every New Year after a few too many whiskies Grandad would don my Grannie’s underskirt, take out the carving knife and the bread knife and do his version of the sword dance. Alongside traditional fare he’d make his trifle. His trifle used Scottish Raspberries and much more whisky than I do and my recipe brings in a more varied selection of berries, a hint of Spanish influence using madeleine’s instead of lady’s fingers or in Grandad’s case swiss roll. I make a traditional trifle and never use jelly, this can be debated, I’m sure, much the same way we may never agree on what comes first jam or cream on a cream tea scone.

My trifle is made in one of my many cut glass bowls, sure you can put it in a smooth sided modern bowl but what can I say I’m a vintage gal. It has layers of raspberry and whisky soaked sponge, sharp unsweetened forest fruits, thick creamy custard, sweetened whipped cream and decorated with fresh raspberries and chocolate sprinkles.

This is my recipe hope you will give it a try, this will serve 6/8 people generous portions, if you prefer it a little sweeter you can add sugar to the frozen berries, I like mine a bit sharp.

Ingredients:

4 large madeleine cupcakes

A tot of whisky

Raspberry jam

Large punnet of fresh raspberries

Bag of frozen fruits of the forest

Custard (Birds made with full fat milk and cream)

Whipped cream

Chocolate hundreds and thousands

Method:

Make up custard with one extra spoonful of custard powder and use half and half milk and cream

While custard is cooling crumble madelines in a fancy bowl

Put half the punnet of raspberries and four tablespoons of raspberry jam in a pan and melt over a low heat, add the tot of whisky and pour over the madelines, stir to mix in

Pour the bag of frozen berries on top of the sponge then add the custard

Finally whip the cream with a teaspoon of caster or icing sugar and layer in soft peaks over the custard

Decorate the top with the fresh raspberries and chocolate sprinkles