It’s cold. It’s dark. It’s windy here. It’s winter. While I am fully embracing all of the winter foodstuffs that I’ve missed all summer long, I still need something a little bright. Something that lets me feel like the summer sun is still beaming outside—if even for just a few moments.
Don’t get me wrong; I love winter food as much as anyone. And it’s not that I love summer food more, either. (I mean, really, what even is “summer” and “winter” food? Is it like saying “ethnic food”? What does that even mean? I’m getting off topic). I always seem to have this issue; in the summer all I crave are stews, chili, Bolognese, and so on, but come winter I can’t for the life of me remember a single one of them because all I’m thinking about are summer fruits and ice cream. It’s a sickness, really. Thankfully, blood oranges have come to my rescue.
They’re available somewhere around December through March or April, depending on the specific variety. They have a deeper flavor than Naval or Valencia oranges, not quite as sweet and acidic, and have a subtle nuance with notes of citrus and berries that makes them so much more interesting than their more popular counterparts. From the outside, the skin can look virtually the same as any run of the mill orange or flecked with darker hues of red, but once you cut one open you’ll see where they get their name. The flesh is a dark crimson—almost sinister looking.
And then there’s the trifle. It’s an English dessert that kind of combines the classic custard fool (or foole) with sponge cake. Actually, I think it was a way of using up old cake, since you soak it in juice or liqueur. What I love about a trifle, aside from its adaptability and taste, is its striking appearance—the definitive show stopper. Layers of boozy cake, gorgeous fruit, and luscious custard all adorned with a big mound of softly whipped cream, and presented in a big, clear trifle dish; it leaves everybody reeling. It does take some time, making the custard and letting it cool before assembling, but it’s not something I would consider hard work. Make the custard the day before you plan to serve the trifle, and assemble everything the morning of, giving it roughly 8 hours to come together in the fridge and you’re all set.
The custard itself is made with a mix of coconut milk and heavy cream, which gives the trifle its tropical flourish. It’s not an overwhelming tropical essence by any means, because this isn’t meant to be a tropical dessert, but it’s enough to make you almost feel like the summer sun is beaming down on your shoulders.
You will notice that there are no chunks of fruit here, layered in between the cake and custard, as you would normally see in a trifle. I was conflicted with this. I’ve tried putting coconut flakes between the layers (too much), blood orange segments would be too wet, and any other fruit I could think of would either be too tropical or not suitable for me (strawberries—what’s the point?). Well, I’m perfectly happy to leave it out all together—you won’t miss it.
No need to make your own cake, either. Once you soak it in juice and booze you wont be able to tell the difference anyway so save yourself the trouble. I love to use store, or bakery-bought pound cakes for trifles, and while granted they are never quite good enough to eat on their own, or at least not nearly as good as a homemade one, here they are perfect.
The blood oranges give this a deep, rich red color that bleeds into the coconut custard where it meets the pound cake, giving it the slightest red-orange-pink-cream tie-dye. Not only is the color combination to die for, the taste will win everyone over. It’s cold outside, but when this gets brought out for dessert snow and cold will be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind.
And don’t forget to follow me on BLOGLOVIN’!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8-10 | 40 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 10 - 15 minutes | 12 - 16 hours |
|
|
|
|
This is both comfortingly cozy and subtly tropical. In the cold months of January through March, when blood oranges are at their peak, a little bright and bloody summer sun is just what we need.
|
- 2 pound cakes approx. 10oz each (store or bakery bought), cut into 1/2" - 3/4" thick slices
- 1 cup blood orange juice freshly squeezed (about 3 - 5 blood oranges, depending on size)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons Campari
- 2 tablespoons orange vodka
- 2 tablespoons blood orange zest divided
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 - 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut toasted and completely cooled
- 1-1/4 cups coconut milk full fat (one 14-15oz can)
- 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 t-spoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 t-spoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon softened butter or coconut oil (room temperature)
- Pinch kosher salt
- Start by making the custard. You’ll need as wide of a pot as possible. The wider the pot, the more surface area there is on the custard. That does mean more constant stirring but it also means quicker, easier and less riskier cooking. Pour in the coconut milk and cream and turn on medium heat.
- In the meantime, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment—or in a bowl with a whisk—until they become voluminous and silky, and turn a soft canary yellow. When you pull the paddle or whisk out of the mixing bowl, the egg mixture should stream off the paddle in a smooth, single flow.
- Once the coconut milk and heavy cream have scalded (the point just before boiling begins when steam comes off the top, bubbles form around the edges slightly and when the liquid coats a wood spoon) take off the heat.
- Slowly, one ladleful at a time, with the mixer on medium-low, pour in the hot cream mix. You want to do this very slowly so the eggs temper, adjusting to their new, hotter environment. You don’t want to curdle and cook the eggs because there is really no coming back from that. Once you’ve got about ½ - ¾ cup’s worth in there use your rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to make sure all is incorporated.
- Once all of the milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mix back into the same pot you scalded the milk in. DO NOT TURN THE BURNER BACK ON.
- First, grab a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, whisk and heat-proof glass bowl with a fine-mesh sieve set over it. These are your new appendages. Where you go, they go… but you’re not going anywhere once that burner is back on under the custard. Don’t even try it. You might think you have enough time to answer the doorbell, let the dog out or make a cup of coffee while you cook the custard but it’s already one step ahead of you. It knows what you’re going to try and the second you step away from it – BOOM – sweet, creamy, coconuty scrambled eggs. Mmm!
- Having said this, before you start, also fill your sink with cold water and some ice. I remember reading Nigella Lawson’s recipes for custards and she advises to do this so that, if while cooking your custard, it does begin to curdle, you run the pot over to the sink, plunge it in (without getting any water in the custard) and, with your whisk, whip the custard ferociously until the custard smoothens out or your arm falls off. The idea here is like shocking blanched green beans – stop the cooking process in its tracks. I’ve yet to have to do this but when she tells you how to make custard for an English trifle, damn it, you listen.
- Now, turn the burner on medium-low and, with rubber spatula, stir the custard mix constantly, scraping the bottoms and sides with the spatula periodically to avoid any parts of custard cooking and clinging to the sides. I switch back and forth between the wooden spoon and the spatula. The wooden spoon helps to tell how far along the custard is in cooking by the way it appears on the wooden spoon. It’ll seem like its not thickening for a while but after about 10 minutes it starts thickening very quickly.
- After about another minute or two of thickening, turn off the burner and immediately dump the custard into the glass bowl, through the sieve. Throw in the softened butter or coconut oil, and whisk until it melts into the custard. Splash in the extracts and stir to combine. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature before placing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard (to help prevent a skin from forming). Place in the fridge and allow to completely cool.
- Once the custard has had several hours, lets say 6 – 8, to cool and set, you can get on with the rest of the trifle.
- Zest the blood oranges and set half aside. Squeeze the juice into a measuring cup, add the sugar, one tablespoon of zest and the liqueurs. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour the orange mix into a shallow dish with sides. Very quickly, dip the pound cake slices into the liquid, immediately flip over and remove to a trifle dish. Completely cover the bottom of the dish with pound cake before pouring over a third of the custard.
- Repeat these steps twice more before topping the whole thing with the heavy cream that you’ve whipped to soft peaks with the powdered sugar.
- Top with toasted flaked coconut, that have been completely cooled, and remaining blood orange zest. Allow the whole thing to set further in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably 6.
- Start by making the custard. Pour the coconut milk and cream into a large pot and place over medium heat to scald.
- Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a standup mixer with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a whisk, until they become voluminous and silky, and turn a soft canary yellow. When you pull the paddle or whisk out of the bowl, the egg mixture should stream off the paddle in a smooth, single flow.
- Once the milk-cream combo has scalded, pour a ladleful into the egg mixture, whisking it all the while. Do this until you have about half of the hot milk mixed in before adding in the rest all in one go.
- Pour the custard back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens and heavily coats the back of a wooden spoon. I stir it with a rubber spatula while cooking so I can make sure nothing sticks to the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Once it's thickened, pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve set over a large heatproof bowl. Stir in the softened butter or coconut oil, and extracts, until the fat melts into the custard. Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and cool completely in the fridge--about 8 hours.
- Once the custard is cool, start the rest of the trifle. Mix the blood orange juice, liqueurs, sugar, and one tablespoon of the zest in shallow dish with sides. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Very quickly, dip the pound cake slices into the liquid, immediately flip over and remove to a trifle dish. Completely cover the bottom of the dish with pound cake before pouring over a third of the custard.
- Repeat these steps twice more before topping the whole thing with the heavy cream that you’ve whipped to soft peaks with the powdered sugar.
- Top with toasted flaked coconut, that have been completely cooled, and remaining blood orange zest. Allow the whole thing to set further in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably 6
- Make sure you use Coconut milk and NOT "Cream of Coconut" (i.e. Coco Lopez). It would be way to sweet. Also make sure you use full-fat coconut milk, otherwise the custard will lack the body and thickness you need.
- Technically, regular oranges will work here; that's to say, using proper oranges won't threaten the structure of the trifle. However, regular oranges are much sweeter, a little more acidic, and more floral than their darker counterparts. Blood oranges offer a little more nuance and interest, where as regular oranges are a little lacking in this dish.
1 comment
Comments are closed.