Longing, regret, lost loves, memory: certainly all of these things are among my favorite obsessions, but only a few of the themes Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited touches upon.
At the moment though, there are several delicious scenes from the book I recall in particular...
The sprawling student luncheons in the rooms at Oxford featuring Lobster Newberg; a catered party held in the state room of a storm-lashed ship where a caviar-filled ice sculpture of a swan is melting; the summer evening Sebastian and Charles spent drinking wine at a table loaded with vintages pulled from the vast cellar at Brideshead; an afternoon lazing under elm trees after Sebastian told his friend, “I’ve got a motor-car and a basket of strawberries and a bottle of Chateau-Peyraguey—which isn’t a wine you’ve ever tasted, so don’t pretend. It’s heaven with strawberries.”
And then at last, we’re introduced to something called Mavrodaphne Trifle. As Charles recounts his harrowing evening with Anthony Blanche, “I had drunk a lot, but neither the mixture, nor the Chartreuse, nor the Mavrodaphne Trifle, nor even the fact that I had sat immobile and almost silent throughout the evening instead of clearing the fumes...explains the stress of that hag-ridden night.”
At the moment though, there are several delicious scenes from the book I recall in particular...
The sprawling student luncheons in the rooms at Oxford featuring Lobster Newberg; a catered party held in the state room of a storm-lashed ship where a caviar-filled ice sculpture of a swan is melting; the summer evening Sebastian and Charles spent drinking wine at a table loaded with vintages pulled from the vast cellar at Brideshead; an afternoon lazing under elm trees after Sebastian told his friend, “I’ve got a motor-car and a basket of strawberries and a bottle of Chateau-Peyraguey—which isn’t a wine you’ve ever tasted, so don’t pretend. It’s heaven with strawberries.”
And then at last, we’re introduced to something called Mavrodaphne Trifle. As Charles recounts his harrowing evening with Anthony Blanche, “I had drunk a lot, but neither the mixture, nor the Chartreuse, nor the Mavrodaphne Trifle, nor even the fact that I had sat immobile and almost silent throughout the evening instead of clearing the fumes...explains the stress of that hag-ridden night.”
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I was very intrigued. What Trifle was this? A google investigation explained that Mavrodaphne Trifle incorporates Greek Mavrodaphne wine—with the rich ruby-red color and nose of black raisins from Mavrodaphne grapes stepping in for sherry traditionally used to flavor the creamy, layered dessert!
The recipe below is more a matter of assemblage than labor, especially if you use a ready-made sponge cake and custard.
Consider serving the beautiful, unsusual Mavrodaphne Trifle at your next gathering—or enjoy it by a bubbling Gothic fountain bathed in moonlight. (IYKYK!) “Always summer...the fruit always ripe...”
Happy Labor Day, everybody!
Mavrodaphne Trifle
Adapted from treataweek.blogspot.com
Adapted from treataweek.blogspot.com
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
1 recipe of English Custard (about 3 cups)
2/5 to 1/2 recipe Lemon Sponge Cake (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/3 to 2/3 cup Mavrodaphne or sweet sherry, port, sweet wine or fruit juice
1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 small banana, sliced
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons rose water (optional)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)
chocolate shavings or other garnish
Directions
1. Prepare custard in advance and use at room temperature or chilled. Do not use warm custard.
2. Slice stale sponge cake into 3/4-inch cubes. Using raspberry jam, attach two cubes of cake together.
3. In the trifle bowl, pour alcohol or juice over cake and toss until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Add sliced strawberries and bananas and toss again.
5. Cover with a layer of custard, making sure it settles over the cake-fruit mixture.
6. Whip cream, rose water and powdered sugar until stiff.
7. Top trifle with whipped cream and decorate with chocolate shavings. You may also garnish with toasted sliced almond, fruit, sprinkles or cocoa powder.
8. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before serving.
Be sure to use a clear glass bowl to show off the layers of your trifle.
1 recipe of English Custard (about 3 cups)
2/5 to 1/2 recipe Lemon Sponge Cake (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/3 to 2/3 cup Mavrodaphne or sweet sherry, port, sweet wine or fruit juice
1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 small banana, sliced
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons rose water (optional)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)
chocolate shavings or other garnish
Directions
1. Prepare custard in advance and use at room temperature or chilled. Do not use warm custard.
2. Slice stale sponge cake into 3/4-inch cubes. Using raspberry jam, attach two cubes of cake together.
3. In the trifle bowl, pour alcohol or juice over cake and toss until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Add sliced strawberries and bananas and toss again.
5. Cover with a layer of custard, making sure it settles over the cake-fruit mixture.
6. Whip cream, rose water and powdered sugar until stiff.
7. Top trifle with whipped cream and decorate with chocolate shavings. You may also garnish with toasted sliced almond, fruit, sprinkles or cocoa powder.
8. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before serving.
Be sure to use a clear glass bowl to show off the layers of your trifle.
Thanks to treataweek.blogspot.com for the recipe and princesspinkygirl.com for the pic!
YUM and WOW!
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm. Almost too pretty to eat!
ReplyDelete