A Delicate and Delightful Greek Trifle Dessert
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[dropcap] F [/dropcap]or the ideal dessert for Valentine’s Day or a special dinner for two, I like to refer to my Dad George, award winning restaurateur of The Olive Tree Greek Restaurants, and his famous trifle for something a little bit romantic!
[blockquote type=”center”]Delicate, fruity and so easy to make, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it too![/blockquote]
I love recreating recipes handed down by family and it was Dad who actually taught me to cook, encouraging me to take part in a TV show Junior Masterchef at the age of 11. Rehearsing my dishes (lamb cutlets in a red wine jus and an orange liquor dessert) after school with him laid the foundations for my love of food.
He too is an inspiration. Studying at university in the UK from Cyprus, gaining an Msc and then an MBA, he and my Mum, whom he met at Uni, opened their first restaurant The Olive Tree Greek Restaurant in ’83. Four restaurants later, they have built a successful, award-winning group of restaurants, receiving national and international accolades and importantly, happy customers who keep coming back!
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A little bit of history – although the origin of the Greek trifle isn’t confirmed, some claim it was named after Queen Charlotte of England in the 1700’s hence being called ‘Charlotta’ in Greek.
A delicate, soft and set creamy topping coats apricots and apricot jam (or any preserved/fresh fruits you like) in this delightful trifle.
You can decorate with toppings of your choice – seasonal fruits (summer fruits, or pomegranate in winter are pretty choices), flaked almonds, pistachio nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon work well too. Enjoy.
- 125g dried stoned apricots soaked overnight, drained and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons apricot jam
- Juice and zest of one orange
- 800ml milk
- 4 large free range egg yolks
- 75g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, spliced lengthways and beans removed or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
- 4 tablespoons cornflour diluted with some milk or water
- 12 sponge fingers broken in a few pieces or 125g Madeira cake cubed
- For decoration: seasonal fruits, flaked almonds or pistachio nuts.
- In a small pan, combine the apricots, apricot jam, orange juice and zest, just cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for an hour until the apricots soften and the juices thicken. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
- Place the milk in a pan over a gentle heat and heat it to just below simmering point, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and rosewater in a medium bowl until the mixture is slightly pale for approximately 3 minutes.
- Place a towel underneath the bowl to steady it. Gradually pour the hot milk into the bowl, whisking the egg mixture constantly.
- Transfer to a clean saucepan and gently cook over a medium heat whisking continuously until the custard comes to simmering point and it is thick and smooth and coats the back of a spoon.
- To assemble the trifle, divide the trifle sponges or Madeira cake into six glass bowls then soak the cake with the apricots and their juices.
- Finally finish with a layer of custard and flatten with a spoon. Decorate with your choice of pretty garnish.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
[/text_output][gap size=”2.313em”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row inner_container=”true” padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”20px” border=”all”][vc_column width=”1/1″][text_output][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h2″ looks_like=”h3″]Meet Vicki Psarias [/custom_headline]
Vicki Psarias is a blogger and award-winning filmmaker. She is also the founder and editor of Honest Mum and Mummy’s Got Style.[/text_output][gap size=”1.313em”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Thanks for sharing my Dad’s Greek trifle recipe, a real honour to feature here, Vicki!
Thank you Vicki for sharing with all our readers. Tell Dad thank you as well and continued success on his restaurants! 🙂
Fabulous! Vintage recipes are so special…thank you for sharing your treasure! ~ally
Hello Ally. Ins’t it wonderful? We love how the recipe is handed down from one generation to the next. Thank you for checking it out! 🙂