Christmas

Grilled fruit trifle with panettone and sugared almonds

The ultimate make-ahead Christmas dessert.
Fruit trifle in a trifle dish on a table decorated for Christmas.Photography: John Paul Urizar | Recipe & Styling: Michele Cranston | Food preparation: Dixie Elliott
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The magic of this summery fruit trifle is in the assemblage. There’s no waiting for jelly to set, or baking sponge cake from scratch. Simply grill peaches until soft and caremelised and add them to a trifle dish alongside alternating spoonfuls of Cointreau-soaked panettone and dollops of mascarpone. Then top with sugared almonds for a sweet, satisfying crunch.

To get ahead with your Christmas menu, prepare most of the ingredients the night before. The mascarpone mixture and roasted peaches can be stored in the refrigerator, while the almond crisps can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.

Ingredients

Method

1

In a bowl, fold together the egg yolks, mascarpone, caster sugar and vanilla bean paste. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then fold the whites through the mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2

Combine the tea and Cointreau in a small bowl. Tear the panettone into chunks and place on a tray. Spoon over the tea and liqueur mix.

3

Heat a grill to high and grill the peaches for 20 minutes, or until soft and a little burnt on the edges. The cooking time will depend on the ripeness of the fruit. Set aside to cool.

4

To make the trifle, layer the panettone, mascarpone and peaches in a trifle bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

5

Heat an oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

6

In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the extra egg white and sugar, then fold through the almonds. Spread evenly over a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until light golden. Cool then break into pieces.

7

To serve, top the trifle with raspberries and sugared almond crisps, and dust with icing sugar.

Christmas fruit trifle in a clear trifle dish on a table decorated according to a navy and red Christmas colour scheme.
(Credit: Photography: John Paul Urizar | Recipe & Styling: Michele Cranston | Food preparation: Dixie Elliott)

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