Chocolate orange trifle recipe

Chocolate orange trifle has a brioche base, homemade custard and zesty clementine flavours running throughout. This dessert would make a fantastic finale for a dinner party or Christmas meal - it'll only takes you 25 minutes to make and can sit in the fridge all day, so you'll have plenty of time to relax before your guests arrive.

Ingredients

• 450ml full-fat milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split
• 3 medium eggs, plus two yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 4tsp cornflour
• 500g chocolate chip brioche, sliced 1cm thick
• 4tbsp Cointreau or Triple Sec
• 700g clementines, peeled and soaked in liqueur, then sliced into rounds (reserve 4tbsp liqueur)
• 600ml double cream
• 4tbsp icing sugar
• Zest of 1 orange, to decorate
• Chocolate curls, to decorate

Method

1. Heat the milk and vanilla pod until you see steam coming off the surface. Remove from the heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar and cornflour together. Discard the vanilla pod and gradually whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
2. Pour into a clean pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring, for 5 mins until thicker and smooth. Strain and leave to cool with a layer of clingfilm pressed onto the top to prevent a skin from forming.
3. Lay the brioche slices on a plate and drizzle over the Cointreau. Put half the slices in the base of a deep 3-litre trifle bowl and scatter over half the clementine rounds before pouring over half the cooled custard.
4. Whip the cream, icing sugar and reserved liqueur until it forms loose peaks then spoon half onto the fruit. Scatter with the remaining brioche, fruit and custard, then top with remaining cream. Sprinkle over the zest and chocolate curls. Chill until ready to serve.

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