It’s my foodie month and the recipe I’m sharing today has everything that I might like about a dessert – although to be honest, I’m not really a dessert person; I prefer cheese and biscuits at the end of a lovely meal! However if I was offered ginger trifle with coffee at about elevenish, then that might suit me very nicely as elevenses!
Ginger trifle is on the menu for November in Modern Practical Cookery, no longer modern as it was published in 1934.
Ginger trifle
2 sponge rings – I guess these are just plain sponges, but maybe the modern trifle sponges we have would be perfect – the recipe actually says ‘for this dish one whole sponge ring (sixpenny size) will be required, and half of another
1¼ pint milk
3 eggs – beat two whole eggs and one yolk together
½ small pot of preserved ginger in syrup (rather a vague quantity – I’d buy a normal jar and use how much I think, then eat the rest! The ginger chopped small
sugar to taste
½ gill ginger wine
¼ cream,
more sugar
vanilla
angelica, cut into slivers
- split the sponge cakes and put half of one in a serving dish – or a layer of sponge fingers
- sprinkle with chopped ginger, then repeat with other halves
- soak sponge in ginger wine and syrup from the ginger jar (don’t let it get to soggy)
- heat milk almost to boiling and pour onto beaten eggs then pour into a double boiler, bain marie, or bowl over hot water and stir well until it cooks and thickens
- take custard off heat, add sugar and vanilla to taste
- cool then pour over the sponge
- decorate with angelica
- before beat the egg white until stiff and fold into beaten cream
- add sugar and vanilla to taste
- spoon cream onto the centre of the trifle, serve extra separately
Lois Elsden 