Gluten Free Trifle. Great for Christmas or if you break a cake

This year I decided to healthify the classic Christmas trifle. I grew up with my baba (grandmother) making trifle for Christmas and I never ate it. Not sure why…maybe the jelly never appealed, or the sherry. BUT I loved this trifle! It’s something you can make in advance, making Christmas day just that little bit easier and relaxed.This is how I like to celebrate, eating good food that nourishes at the same time as tasting great, and enjoying it stress-free. Here we go, it’s all yours.

You can use store-bough custard if you don’t want to make your own. As well as the jelly. Feel free to switch things out as you choose. And add fresh fruit. Or swap sherry for juice.

Instructions

1. Bake a cake using the vanilla baking mix following the instructions on the packet.

2. Put the fruit in a pan with up to 150g coconut sugar (optional) and 1 litre of water. Bring to a gentle simmer then cook for 2 mins. Scoop out 6 tbsp fruit and 150ml juice then continue cooking the fruit in the pan for a further 5 mins.

3. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in cold water to soften it.

4. If you have a hand blender, blitz the cooked fruit, or mash well with a potato masher or the back of a fork, then strain through a sieve into a large bowl pushing through the pulp so just the skins and seeds are left. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, add to the hot fruit syrup and stir to dissolve. Cool, then chill to the point of almost setting while you make the custard.

5. Make a thick custard using 400ml coconut cream (or full cream milk) 60-100g coconut sugar, 3 eggs, 40g arrowroot, 1 tsp vanilla.

Thermomix instructions:
Add all the ingredients and cook 7 min/90°C/speed 4 (SO EASY!!!) 

Stove Top Instructions:
Heat the coconut cream/milk until small bubbles form around edge then remove from the heat. Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks with sugar and arrowroot until smooth. Whisk the hot coconut cream/ milk into the egg mixture a little at a time to heat it gently and avoid ‘scrambling’ the eggs. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the custard comes to a simmer. Cook 1 minute longer, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool with a piece of baking paper over the surface.

6. Cut the cake and pile the pieces into a trifle bowl, spoon over the reserved juice and berries, then the Sherry. Pour over a thick layer of custard, pushing it against the side of the dish to seal in the cake below. Leave to cool and set with a skin – this makes a barrier for the jelly.

7. When the custard is cold and set, and the jelly is almost at the point of setting, spoon the jelly over the top and chill until ready to complete.

8. Use the solid cream from the top of a can of refrigerated coconut cream or double cream and whip with 1 tsp vanilla until the cream just is holding its shape, then spoon round the bowl over the set jelly

9. Chill until ready to serve. Top with fresh berries, shaved chocolate, crushed biscuits or any other festive touches you fancy!