Recipe: Gin elderflower trifle
Sourced from the new cookbook Cuisine To Kill For: Recipes and True Crimes from the World’s Most Haunted Places, by Amy Bruni (Harper Celebrate), the new title sees the paranormal investigator pair recipes with real crime stories from around the world, including right here in B.C.
This delicate (and boozy!) trifle comes courtesy of the Fairmont Empress, from the hotel’s executive pastry chef, Gerald Tan.
Chef Tan is renowned for his contributions to the hotel’s famed Afternoon Tea service, which serves more than four hundred guests a day in the summer. This dessert is labour-intensive but results in a lightly sweet confection with notes of white chocolate, ripe fruit and delicate botanicals that’s worth the effort.
Gin Elderflower Trifle
Vanilla white chocolate ganache montee
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) powdered gelatin
1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water
1 cup (250 mL) best-quality white chocolate
2 cups (500 mL) heavy cream
2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla bean paste (or extract)
Bloom the gelatin by combining it with the water in a small mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, place the white chocolate. Set both bowls aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream, sugar and vanilla paste until just under simmering, being careful not to boil it.
Turn off the heat then pour the mixture on the white chocolate. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a container, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
The next day, whip the mixture until soft peaks form. Reserve until ready to use.
Strawberry compote
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) fruit pectin
2 cups (500 mL) fresh strawberries, trimmed and quartered, plus more halved for garnish
1/4 cup (60 mL) Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
Mix together the sugar and pectin (this step will prevent clumping later).
In a heavy-bottomed pot, place the strawberries and the sugar-pectin mixture. Add the gin. Cook on low heat until the strawberries are soft, about 6-8 minutes. Cool.
Vanilla Genoise sponge cake
6 large eggs
2/3 cup (160 mL) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180 mL) cake flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) cornstarch
Elderflower rose gin syrup
1/8 cup (30 mL) granulated sugar
1/8 cup (30 mL) water
1/4 cup (60 mL) Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
Strawberry powder for garnish
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Using a stand mixer, whip the eggs and sugar until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Remove from the mixer.
Sift the cake flour and cornstarch. Gently fold the flour mixture into the whipped eggs, one-third at a time, until well incorporated but not deflating the eggs
Line a 16×12-inch baking sheet (also called a half-sheet) with parchment paper. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, about 15-18 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Elderflower rose gin syrup
In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the sugar and water until all the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cool then add the gin.
Assembly
Brush the cake generously with the elderflower rose gin syrup.
In a trifle dish or a deep bowl, spread the compote on the bottom. Cut the cake into cubes then layer them on top of the compote. Spread the whipped vanilla white chocolate ganache montée on top.
Garnish with some fresh strawberries on top and dust with strawberry powder.
Note: You should be able to find strawberry powder online, but if not, make your own by grinding freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor. If you want to save yourself a step, buy a sponge cake rather than making your own.
Serves 8.
Excerpt and recipe from Cuisine To Kill For: Recipes and True Crime Stories From the World’s Most Haunted Places (Amy Bruni, Harper Celebrate).
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Source: vancouversun.com