QUINCE, PECAN AND CRÈME CARAMEL TRIFLE

I was going to give Heston’s Trifle recipe a go but I left it a little bit too late and ran out of time to gather ingredients. I then went on a big recipe hunt and thought which Australian Chefs do I know that make desserts really well. The first that came to mind was Chef Peter Gilmore. I had learnt from last year to make sure to use ingredients that were in season and I think I got lucky as my little brother found the figs that were just coming into season in one of 8 supermarkets that we looked! So here is the recipe for Peter Gilmore’s Quince, Pecan and Crème Caramel Trifle with Honey Cream.

INGREDIENTS

– 50g White Chocolate, cut into 4 pieces

– 150g (1 ¼ Cups) Pecans

– 50g Currants, Soaked in 150ml Pedro Ximénez Overnight

CRÈME CARAMEL

– Grapeseed Oil, for Brushing

– 380g (2/3 Cup) Caster Sugar

– 180g Egg Yolks (About 10 Yolks)

– 2 Eggs

– 1L (4 Cups) Milk

POACHED QUINCE JELLY

– 150g Caster Sugar

– 1 Vanilla Bean, Split, Seeds Scraped

– 200g  Quince Paste

– 3 Titanium-Strength Gelatine Leaves, Softened in Cold Water for 3 minutes

SPONGE CAKE

– 150g (2/3 Cup) Caster Sugar

– 6 Eggs

– 150g (1 Cup) Plain Flour, Sieved

HONEY CREAM

– 375 ml (1½ Cups) Pouring Cream

– 1½tbsp Honey

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METHOD

1. For crème caramel, preheat your oven to 160ºC and lightly oil eight 220ml ramekins. Stir the 200gm of sugar with 100ml water in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, then cook without stirring until it becomes a dark golden colour (6-8 minutes).

2. Pour enough caramel into each mould to just cover the base and stand until set (10-15 minutes). Whisk the yolks, eggs, and remaining sugar in a bowl until the mixture is just pale in colour (1-2 minutes). Meanwhile you want to bring the milk close to the boiling in a saucepan over medium-high heat and whilst whisking, pour the milk onto eggs and sugar and whisk to combine.

3. Strain mixture through a fine sieve and into a jug. Place moulds in a deep roasting pan lined with a tea towel (this prevents the moulds from sliding). Divide the custard evenly among moulds, then fill pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of moulds. Cover with foil and bake until caramels are set and barely wobble in the centre when gently shaken (40 minutes to 1 hour). Remove from oven and leave in the water bath to cool for 10 minutes. Refrigerate overnight to chill. Dip moulds in hot water, then turn out and cut each into quarters.

4. For poached quince jelly, whisk the sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, 500ml water and the quince paste in a flameproof casserole and bring to a simmer. Stir until sugar and quince paste has dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until required. Bring 300ml of the mixture (discard remainder) and 100ml water to the boil in a saucepan, squeeze excess water from gelatine and, off the heat, stir into quince mixture until dissolved. Strain syrup into a 500ml container and refrigerate until set (2-3 hours).

5. Meanwhile, for sponge cake, preheat oven to 160C and line a 10cm-deep, 23cm-square cake tin with baking paper. Whisk the sugar and eggs in an electric mixer until thick and pale with a fine, firm foam (8-9 minutes). Sift in flour and fold to combine, then pour into prepared tin, spreading evenly. Bake until a skewer inserted withdraws with dry crumbs (20-25 minutes). Turn sponge out onto a rack to cool (20-30 minutes). Cake is best made on the day, but can be made a day ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap to keep fresh

6. Increase oven to 170C. Bake white chocolate pieces on an oven tray lined with baking or a silicone oven tray until chocolate is light caramel in colour (6-8 minutes). Cool completely, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate until required.

7. Roast pecans on an oven tray until crisp (7-8 minutes). Set aside to cool, then break with your hands, leaving some whole to decorate the top.

8. For honey cream, whisk cream and honey in a bowl until soft peaks form.

9. Cut or tear the sponge and the jelly into 5cm pieces. To assemble the trifle, layer a 5-litre trifle bowl with half of the following: pieces of sponge, currants and soaking liquid, quince jelly, crème caramel, crumbled pecans and honey cream. Repeat with remaining ingredients, then cover trifle and refrigerate to chill and set (2-3 hours).

10. To serve, coarsely grate caramelised white chocolate over the top and garnish with pecans

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Peter Gilmore’s Quince, Pecan and Crème Caramel Trifle with Honey Creme