Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
• broken into pieces
• 300ml/10fl oz full-fat milk
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream
• 1 vanilla pod
• split
• 6 free-range egg yolks
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 400g/14oz chocolate cake or brownies
• 50g/1¾oz black cherry or Morello cherry jam
• 100g/3½oz Kirsch or cherry brandy
• 300g/10½oz pitted black cherries
• 150g/5½oz amaretti biscuits
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream
• chocolate curls
• to decorate

Directions

• First make the custard as this will need to chill before you make up the trifle. Melt the chocolate - either in the microwave or very carefully in a bain marie (a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water). Leave to cool.
• Put the milk and cream into a saucepan with the vanilla pod and bring to just-below boiling point. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse until cooled slightly.
• Put the egg yolks
• caster sugar
• cocoa powder and cornflour into a bowl and whisk
• preferably with electric beaters
• until the mixture is very well aerated
• pale and stiff enough so that it keeps shape when you trail the beaters through it.
• Pour the slightly cooled milk and cream mixture over the eggs
• mixing as you go
• then stir in the melted chocolate. Mix thoroughly
• then rinse out the saucepan and return the custard to it. Cook
• stirring constantly until the custard thickens – this can take anything between 10 and 20 minutes depending on how high you dare have the heat. Do not have it on too low a heat as it will not thicken
• but make sure you do not let the mixture boil and keep stirring.
• When the custard has thickened to the point of thick double cream
• transfer to a jug and cover with clingfilm to stop a skin from forming. When cool
• transfer to the fridge – the custard will continue to thicken while it chills.
• To make the trifle
• cut the brownies or chocolate cake into fairly thin slices and spread with the jam. Sandwich together and arrange in the bottom of a large trifle bowl. Pour over the kirsch or cherry brandy
• then sprinkle over the cherries.
• Put a layer of the amaretti biscuits over the cherries
• then pour over the custard in a thick
• even layer. If you have time
• place in the fridge until almost ready to serve
• again covered in cling film.
• Whisk the double cream in a bowl until it forms soft peaks
• then smooth this over the custard. Decorate with chocolate curls.