I hope you had yourself a merry little Christmas.

For many years now we have spent Christmas Eve with the same family friend(s), going to church and sharing a fanciful feast. The names on the place cards change a little each year, as the circle of life continues, but going through these transitions together makes us appreciate the fact that we are able to gather and continue this tradition each year all the more.

It started when my children were just born, so it was pretty amazing to have them sitting at the grown~up table this year; sneaking champagne; and facilitating Santa’s visit for the newer little ones in the group. The approach to creating the meal changes a little each year, as do our lives. There are always some hiccups and hang~ups, but a plethora of good food and wine and christmas crackers on the table help to make the evening light. I love the magic of gathering for a meal with old friends and new, for the conversations; the beauty on and around the table; and for the alchemy that happens behind the scenes to make the banquet a reality.

I was happy to be assigned dessert patrol this year and, I must admit, I was feeling smugly relieved to have it all taken care of well before noon on the 24th.For some reason, I am usually inspired to make trifles in the summer, using fresh berries but trifles are a Christmas tradition, especially in the UK, and would also be an elegant ending to any New Years Eve bash.

The wonderful thing about a classic trifle is that after the simple assembly the real magic happens as it sits in the refrigerator for hours, preferably overnight, allowing the flavors to mix and mingle and saturate the thirsty little lady fingers that line the bowl.

 

For those of you who have been reading SM for awhile you know how I relish in the practice of preserving summer harvests to be enjoyed throughout the colder months. I find it to be absolutely magical that we can essentially preserve the sunshine of summer in the form and flavor of summer fruits and vegetables. So, of course, I was more than delighted to be able to use the peach jam we made from our own summer harvest to sandwich in~between the ladyfingers I used for this trifle.

Following is the recipe, and if you try it, I’d love to hear about your favorite variations.

¾ cup brandy

1 tablespoon William Sonoma Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract

1 ⅓ cups whole milk

1 ⅓ cups heavy cream

8 large egg yolks

¼ cup sugar

12 soft lady fingers (store bought)

½ cup fruit jam

about 2 cups of fruit

2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Warm milk and cream in a saucepan.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl, then beat in the warm milk and cream.

Pour mixture into a clean pan and put over low heat.

Stir and whisk the mixture constantly until it thickens.

If there are signs of the mixture curdling (it will start looking grainy), fill a sink with a couple inches of water, and add ice. Put the pan in the cold bath and whisk rapidly until the custard smooths out. If it gets desperate, put an ice cube in the custard mix and continue whisking.

When the custard is thick, stir in the Vanilla Bean Paste and 2 tablespoons of the brandy. The custard can be covered with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to chill overnight or until needed.

Separate the ladyfingers (or slice up cake in a similar shape), spread with jam and sandwich the lid on top.

Put a few of the ladyfingers on the bottom of the bowl and sprinkle them with with some brandy, toss on a layer of berries and pour on a layer of custard.

Line the perimeter of a clear glass container with the lady fingers.

Continue layering until container is full or all of the ingredients are gone.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill (24 hours is best).

Top the trifle with whipped cream, a sprig of mint or more berries before serving.