SERVES 6-8
SPICED PEARS
50g golden caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
juice of 1 lemon plus 2 strips of zest
200ml water
600g slightly under-ripe pears
CAKE LAYER
400g jam swiss roll
2 tbsp medium sherry
SYLLABUB
finely grated zest of 1 orange plus 2 tbsp juice
a generous squeeze of lemon juice
2 tbsp medium sherry or brandy
120ml sweet wine
50g icing sugar
300ml double cream
TO FINISH
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
edible silver decorations
YOU WILL NEED
a trifle bowl about 20cm across and 8cm deep
- Prepare the pears up to a day ahead. Place the pear ingredients except the fruit in a medium pan, bring to the boil and simmer briefly until dissolved into a light syrup. Peel and slice the pears thinly, discarding the cores. Add the pears to the syrup, submerging them, bring back to a simmer, cover and poach over a low heat for 5 minutes. Leave to cool then cover and chill overnight, allowing the pears to steep with the spices. When ready to assemble the trifle, drain the pears, discarding the syrup and flavourings.
- Line the sides of the trifle bowl with slices of swiss roll cut 2cm thick, placed upright like wheels, then slice the remainder about 3.5cm thick and arrange in the base of the bowl. Splash the sherry over. Spoon the drained pears over and around the swiss roll slices.
- Whisk together the syllabub ingredients, except the cream, in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cream in a thin stream, continuing to whisk until you have a light and fluffy syllabub, which should be the consistency of softly whipped cream. Smooth this over the trifle. Cover with clingfilm without touching the syllabub and chill overnight. The syllabub will firm up and the juices will soak in.
- Shortly before serving, decorate with pomegranate seeds and silver decorations of your choice.