Scottish Trifle (Tipsy Laird)
Prepared and Photographed by: 
Recipe Source: Adapted from Kitchen Connaisseur
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Trifle is a dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or jelly, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers.The combination of flavors in this cake is out of this world, heavenly good.
Ingredients
For the entire cake
  • sponge cake, cut in 1inch cubes (recipe below)
  • 1½ cup strawberry sauce (recipe below)
  • 1 cup ratafia biscuits, crumbled (recipe below)
  • ½ cup of liquor
  • 2 cups custard sauce, (recipe below)
  • ½ cup raspberries, fresh
  • ½ cup blueberries, fresh
  • 1 cup whipping cream, unwhipped
  • ½ cup of granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup almonds, slivered and toasted
For Sponge Cake
  • ¾ cup cake flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 4 eggs, large, separated
  • ¾ cup sugar, white, granulated
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
For Ratafia Biscuits
  • 3 egg whites
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup sugar, white, granulated
  • 2 cups almonds, ground
For Custard Sauce
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • ¼ cup sugar, white, granulated
  • 1 tsp vanilla, essence
For Strawberry Sauce
  • 1 lb ripe strawberries, hulled
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or fruit pectin
  • juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
For Sponge Cake
  1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and gradually add the sugar
  3. Blend in the vanilla and beat some more
  4. Gradually stir in the sifted flour mixture and mix until blended
  5. In the mixer bowl put the egg whites, add salt and mix on hight speed until peaks form. Gradually add in the sugar, continuing to mix.
  6. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
  7. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease a baking pan and line with parchment paper. Lightly grease again and sprinkle with a light coat of flour. Shake away any excess flour.
  8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and evenly spread evenly.
  9. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Remove the cake from the oven and turn it onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cut into 1” pieces.
For Ratafia Biscuits (Almond Macaroons)
  1. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies
  2. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or egg beater, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar, until the egg whites hold in stiff peaks. Carefully fold in the ground almonds.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200 F. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside.
  4. Spoon the batter onto the lined cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until just slightly browned. Allow to cool, then carefully peel off the paper. Repeat with the remaining batter.
For Custard Sauce
  1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together.
  2. In a sauce pan on medium, heat the milk until it is warm, do not bring to a boil, remove from heat
  3. Gradually pour warm milk over egg mixture, continue to stir continually
  4. In a small dish dissolve the corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water, add over the egg milk mixture.
  5. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, add vanilla.
  6. Cool and place in the fridge until it is time to assemble the trifle.
Strawberry Sauce
  1. Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; stir gently until sugar dissolves and berries are soft, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and cool.
Assembly
  1. Place half the diced sponge cake in the base of a glass bowl.
  2. Spread half the Strawberry sauce over the cake.
  3. Spread crumbled cookies evenly over the top.
  4. Arrange half of the raspberries and blueberries over the cookies. Create another layer of cake, strawberry sauce, cookies, raspberries, blueberries.
  5. Drizzle the whiskey evenly over the cake mixture.
  6. Spoon the custard sauce evenly over the top.
  7. Cover and chill
  8. Just before serving, whip the whipping cream in a bowl, beating until the cream holds soft peaks. Add the ½ cup of granulated sugar
  9. For added flavor stir in 1 tsp whiskey.
  10. Put the whipped cream on top of the trifle.
  11. Garnish with toasted slivered almonds. Serve immediately. Heavenly good!
Notes
Custard preparation was a little tricky for me such I had to start it all over and add some corn starch to prevent the egg from curding.
Recipe by Claudia's Home Cooking at http://www.claudiashomecooking.com/scottish-trifle-tipsy-laird/