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Boy do I love Christmas time! It’s baking heaven – from Zimtsterne and Vanillekipferl to Stollen and Florentines, I really love indulging in traditional Christmas treats. And, ever since I’ve moved to the UK, two new seasonal desserts have found their way into my festive xmas heart: mince pies and the pudding of all puddings: Christmas pudding! This fruit-studded dessert is a real revelation: laced with brandy and most often devoured with brandy butter, it’s just heavenly. Still, I often find that after a huge Christmas dinner, it’s hard to do this dessert any justice, and most often there are more leftovers than intended.

Now, I’ve got the perfect solution for such a typical leftover situation or if you find yourself with an unopened Christmas pudding at the end of the festivities… My Christmas pudding trifle! It’s pretty divine if I may say so myself: laced with an extra double kick of whisky and topped off with vanilla whipped cream, it will make you wish it was Christmas all year round! Enjoy!

Christmas Pudding Trifle

Makes 6 small trifles

For the syrup:
25g sugar
50ml whisky
50ml water

350g Christmas pudding
2 shots whisky (50ml)
300ml double or whipping cream
7g vanilla sugar
40g sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cake bottom (large flan case 30cm or one butter cake, cut into slices)
3 speculoos biscuits or gingersnaps for decoration

Start by making the syrup: put the syrup ingredients into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Microwave the Christmas pudding for 2 minutes on the highest temperature. Put the Christmas pudding into a bowl, pour over the whisky and mash up with a fork. Set aside to rest.

Whisk the cream until stiff. Add the vanilla sugar, sugar and egg yolk and whisk again until it’s all smoothly incorporated.

Using a round cookie cutter or one of your serving glasses in which you’ll put the trifle, cut out 6 cake rounds that approximately match the bottom of your serving glasses. Put each cake layer into the bottom of the serving glass and pour over some of the cooled whisky syrup.

Top the cake layer with a couple of tablespoons of Christmas pudding, then top with the whipped cream. Crush up the speculoos or ginger snaps and sprinkle some crumbs on top of each trifle. Serve immediately or keep refridgerated for a maximum of two days.