This Side of the Pond

If you’re a follower of the royal family, you already know that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration is in full swing. To commemorate her 70 years on the throne we have a brand new dessert, chosen from 5000 entries to join the pantheon of royal-inspired foods that also brought us Victoria sponge and coronation chicken.

Although I don’t envy the person who had to take 5000 bites of dessert without descending into a sugar coma, I’ve been excited for this moment. It’s the result of a contest held by Fortnum and Mason – the royal grocer – to create a dish with a memorable story and delicious taste, fit for a monarch but easy to recreate for those of us who don’t have a Master’s degree in baking.

I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I’m dubious about the final requirement – it looks too complicated for me. Lemon and Swiss roll amaretti trifle, created by a lady called Jemma Melvin, was apparently inspired by the lemon posset that was served at the Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip.

Trifle is a good choice for this most British of occasions, though we don’t usually go to such lengths to create them. These layered desserts usually involve sherry, fruit, custard, jelly and sponge fingers, though back when they were invented in (we think) the 16th century, they were just a thick cream flavored with ginger and rosewater.

This one is made with layers of lemon curd Swiss roll, custard, jelly, mandarin coulis and amaretti biscuits. It sounds delicious, but seems like the sort of recipe that demands a special occasion.

Nonetheless, if you’re a keen cook and would be interested in eating like my royal family for an evening, the recipe begins with the Swiss rolls. Jemma has apparently authorized simply buying these from the store but, as I’ve yet to see a lemon curd version on these shores, here’s how to make them:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then grease and line two Swiss roll tins with parchment paper. Beat four large eggs with 3.5 oz of sugar until pale, then fold in 3.5 oz of self-rising flour.

Divide between the tins, bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden. Turn them out onto sheets of baking paper with sugar sprinkled across them, peel off and discard the paper they cooked on and roll them up into a tight spiral using the new pieces of paper, to help them keep their shape later.

Once cool, unroll them and spread the top lavishly with lemon curd. Roll them back up again and cut into one-inch slices. These should be placed around the base of a glass bowl (this recipe serves 20, so you’ll need a big one).

Next, you’ll need St. Clement’s jelly. Soak six gelatin leaves in cold water to soften for five minutes.

Meanwhile, peel six strips each from a lemon and an orange and place in a saucepan with 5.5 oz of sugar and 14 fl oz of water. Simmer over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then discard the peel.

Squeeze four lemons and three oranges to collect 5 fl oz of juice. Stir into the pan, then strain the jelly through a fine sieve into a jug and chill until cool.

Once cooled, pour it over the layer of Swiss roll and place in the fridge to completely set. Next up is the custard layer, which my father will tell you is the whole point of a trifle in the first place.

In a saucepan, heat 15 fl oz of heavy cream to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk three large egg yolks with 1 oz of sugar, 1 tbsp of corn flour and 1 tsp of lemon extract.

Pour the hot cream into the bowl, whisking continuously, then immediately return the mixture to the pan and whisk over a gentle heat until the custard thickens. Place in a jug and cover to cool, at which point you can pour it over your jelly layer in the glass bowl.

Exhausted yet? We’re halfway there.

For the amaretti biscuit layer, get your oven back up to 350 degrees while you beat two egg whites until they are firm. Mix 6 oz of sugar and 6 oz of ground almonds into them, then add a tbsp of amaretto.

You should have a smooth paste, which can be placed in small heaps on a layer of parchment paper on a baking tray (around three quarters of an inch apart, as they will spread). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Allow the biscuits to cool completely, then arrange a single layer of them over your biscuits (keeping a few back for the top of the trifle). Over the top of these goes the chunky mandarin coulis.

Strain two 10 oz tins of mandarins, discarding the juice. Place in a saucepan with 1.75 oz of sugar and heat gently until broken down.

In a bowl, slake two sachets of arrowroot with 2 tbsps of cold water, then add to the mandarins in a large bowl. Add the juice of half a lemon, then strain and add two more tins of mandarins.

Once completely cool, you can add to your trifle, topped with whipped double cream. Crumble the rest of your amaretti biscuits over the top and we’re on to the final step: the chocolate bark shards.

Melt 7 oz of white chocolate in a bowl and pour it onto a lined baking tray over the top of 1.75 oz of mixed peel. (If your peel is wet or sticky, you can roll it in sugar beforehand to absorb the moisture.)

Leave to set, then break into shards and stick them into the cream. Your trifle, you will be relieved to hear, is now complete.

The recipe does include a couple of cheats, for which I am already feeling gratitude. A pint of lemon-flavored jello can be substituted for the St. Clement’s jelly, while ready-made amaretti biscuits are also apparently acceptable and white chocolate chunks and mixed peel can be scattered on top instead of the bark. You can’t leave the custard out, though, as this would upset my dad.

My interest has been piqued by this recipe, though I suspect I’ll need to set aside a full afternoon to get it made. Perhaps I’ll plan to make it for my dad next time I go home – though I’ll probably need to double the quantities of custard.