Panettone and prosecco trifles

Tam West

Most of us all have a sherry trifle memory and mine was not all that great. As a youngster digging into an impressive looking large glass bowl full of jelly, sponge, cream and sliced tinned peaches was spoilt when I tasted the heavy hand of sherry.

I’m quite surprised none of us keeled over on the floor while waiting for the presents to be opened. These Italian-inspired trifles use sparkling prosecco, making it refreshingly light, and panettone, the buttery, fruity Christmas “bread” to replace the sponge and give the trifle a unique flavour.

Ingredients

250 ml	Water
½ cup	Sugar
9 leaves	Gelatine
1 bottle	Prosecco sparkling wine, 750ml (Main)
½	Panettone (Main)
200 g	Mascarpone
200 ml	Cream, lightly whipped
1 tsp	Vanilla extract, or essence
2 Tbsp	Icing sugar
1	Pomegranate, fresh (Main)
1 punnet	Strawberries, or raspberries (Main)
1 punnet	Blueberries (Main)

Directions

1. Make the jelly the day before: bring water and sugar to the boil, simmer for 3 minutes. Soften gelatine leaves in cold water for 2 minutes, squeeze softened leaves to remove excess water then stir into hot sugar syrup. Allow to cool then add prosecco, pour into a large dish and place in the fridge to set.
2. Heat oven to 180C. Tear panettone into bite-sized chunks and toast for 10 minutes or until crisp.
3. Fold mascarpone, cream, vanilla and icing sugar together.
4. Cut pomegranate in half, remove seeds by knocking the skin with a wooden spoon, mix with berries.
5. Whisk prosecco jelly to soften, spoon into glasses, layer with panettone, mascarpone cream and fresh fruits.

More Christmas desserts from Geoff

• Ice cream meringue mountain
• Figgy pudding, tropical fruits and butterscotch sauce