Cheat’s Trifle

This is lovely, easy chocolate trifle recipe is based loosely on a Delia special. You need to start it at least a day before, but apart from that it’s easy peasy, as every trifle should be!

Ingredients
-3 chocolate-chip muffins or cupcakes
-200 g dark chocolate (at least 75 per cent cocoa solids)
-680 g jar pitted morello cherries
-75 ml rum port
-2 level tablespoons cherry jam
-250g mascarpone
-400g custard
-275 ml whipping cream
-1 chocolate flake for garnish

Method
-Soak the cherries in the rum port overnight (you can get rum port from the Safeway – it’s only around $10 a bottle and a cheaper alternative to using straight rum, but it has the additional dimension of a port flavour I really like.)
-Slice up the muffins, and spread each slice with some of the jam. We were lucky to have some of Master Radish’s homemade cherry jam to use.
-Layer around the base of the dish you’re going to use, then use a skewer or a fork to make holes all over. Strain the cherries, retaining the rum port they’ve been soaking in, then sprinkle the rum port over the top and scatter the cherries on top of the spongy base.
-Next, break up your chocolate into squares and heat very gently in a saucepan sitting over some barely simmering water. Alternatively melt it cgently in the microwave. Stir well and the leave for 2 minutes.
-While the chocolate is sitting, beat the mascarpone in a bowl to soften, add the custard and whisk together. Then add the chocolate and whisk that through, then pour the whole creamy mixture on top of the cherries and muffins.
-Next, whip your cream, but make sure it’s not too stiff and retains some of its floppiness. Then spread it over the mascarpone layer.
-Crumble the flake with your fingers and sprinkle on top as a garnish. These will keep in the fridge until required, but make sure to let them sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.