tropical knock-you-out trifle
I decided, sometime during the final hours of 2011, that 2012 would be a year of change. BIG. EXCITING. CHANGE.
And it was. Not in the way I expected, but when does one ever really expect the changes that befall them.
(I should have known better than to pick that as a theme.)
Three weeks in, I was knocked to the floor with news of my Ah Kong’s passing.
Three months in, I called it quits on a career that I’d spent 5 years working towards and 4 years living in.
Four months in, I jumped on a plane to France – my first trip to Europe and the first time Koji & I had spent that much time in each others’ presence without any chance of escape.
Six months in, I packed my bags and flew the coop (properly this time)… 1km down the road from mum & dad’s.
Nine months in, I chose a new career, flew all about the place training for it, and realised that it was the best choice I could ever have made.
And in the final weeks, I finally signed a contract to start a new business (a prospect exciting and terrifying in equal parts).
I’ll be in Malaysia when you read this post, commemorating the memory of my Ah Kong and the twelve months that have elapsed since his passing. (Really? That long? Already? How?)
As I typed up this post in preparation for that trip, I realised that I hadn’t decided what this year would be. Not yet. Last year was exhilarating and crushing in one, and I was wary of signing myself up for a similar fate. (Though I suppose I’ve already done so by starting up said small business. Oh lordy.)
Until I spotted the bottle and the light and the glasses. The streamers and the candles and the somewhat-jaunty tablecloth.
Celebration.
Because there is always cause for it.
I’ll get to see my cousins twice and two years. We’ll go shopping at outlets and eat too much and sit, disquieted at how much older we’ve become.
I’ll see yet another (or three!) of my friends get married and start on a life they would never have expected a few short years (or months!) ago.
I’ll be working for myself, doing something that I love, helping people that I would never have ever met otherwise. Bad economy and statistical percentages of failure be damned. I’m going to make it work.
And, to top it all off, I’m still here. You’re still here. There is hope in that.
tropical knock-you-out trifle
This trifle earns its moniker two fold, once from the mango and passionfruit that adorn each and every layer, and the second from the copious amounts of alcohol that do similarly. I made them up for Christmas feasts at both mine and Koji’s and wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said there were skirmishes over the last of it.
There are four components to the trifle, layered until you run out of room in your bowl. The recipe makes two fairly large ones, so aforementioned skirmishes might be deterred.
To assemble, I recommend layering in the following order (though you could do whatever you think best!):
Jelly / Mango / Savioradi / Zabaglione / Savioradi / Mango / Jelly / Zabaglione
champagne & passionfruit jelly
you will need:
600ml champagne (or spakling white wine)
2 packets passionfruit jelly crystals
400ml boiling water
how to do it:
1. Combine the jelly crystals and boiling water in a jug, stirring well so that the crystals all dissolve.
2. Carefully pour the champagne into the jelly mixture.
3. Pour half of the jelly into the base of the trifle bowls and chill until set. Leave the rest of the jelly out on the counter so that it doesn’t set. You will want it to remain liquid until you are ready to layer it again.
whiskey infused mango
you will need:
three large mangoes
three shots of whiskey (pick a sweet, not too smokey variety)
how to do it:
1. Cut the mango off the seed and remove the peel. Chop it into chunks no larger than 1cm x 1 cm.
2. Tip the whiskey over the top and leave to macerate while you go about preparing the other elements.
champagne & marscapone zabaglione
you will need:
4 large eggs
1/2 C white sugar
150ml sparkling wine or champagne
2 1/2 C marscapone
how to do it:
1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar and sparkling wine into a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk and whisk and whisk until the mixture is thick and creamy and tripled in volume.
3. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the marscapone, mixing as you go.
4. Whip the egg whites until they form firm-ish peaks and fold that into the marscapone mixture too. It will be quite fluffy, but will set nicely in the fridge.
passionfruit & mango (& whiskey) dipped savioradi
you will need:
1 mango
1 tin passionfruit pulp
three (more) shots of whiskey
1 packet savioradi biscuits
how to do it:
1. Peel the mango and cut the flesh away from the seed. Pulverise the mango in a food processor until it is smooth. Add the passionfruit and the whiskey.
2. When it comes time to assemble this layer, dip the biscuits briefly in the mixture and then lay them down in the trifle bowl. Continue until the layer is complete. If there is left over pulp at the end, tip it over the biscuit layer.
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This is my entry into January’s Sweet Adventures Blog Hop – Tropical Paradise!
Check out the other entries below.
17 bites more on “tropical knock-you-out trifle”
What a busy year for you! Good luck with it all
You’ll do great! Thanks for joining the hgop!!
Wow! What a celebration indeed! This looks awesome! All the best with your new business!
Congratulations! On the perserverance, strength, and your gorgeous posts. Salud!
You had a lot of changes, hope 2013 brings you good things only! I love the sound of this recipe – I am a little scared of all of the different components but you look like you pulled them all together beautifully
What a huge year! And I think I’m getting tipsy just reading this recipe
Have a wonderful trip and here’s to a fabulous 2013!
Holy cow!!!! Passion fruit, booze and trifle?! I just gained weight reading the recipe!
2012 was sure a rollercoaster of a ride for you but look at what’s come from it. It means 2013 is going to be a bigger ride. Looking forward to another year of one bite more! x
may 2013 be an incredible year!
What an amazing 2012 you had! Best wishes for a happy and successful 2013.
What a year full you had. Good luck with your intriguing sounding business. This trifle sounds to me like its got all the right elements tropical fruit and alcohol, jelly and mascapone. Happy 2013
This is a great post! Congratulations on all you’ve achieved last year and good luck in your new enterprise. I love the amount of alcohol in this trifle!! My kind of dessert
All the best for 2013!
Here’s to this year, Shez!
I’m so sorry to hear of the loss of your dear one. Best of luck with your new business. Oh and – your trifle looks lovely
Sensational trifle and I am not going to wait until next Christmas to try this one! Sounds like 2012 was a huge year in many ways. I hope you’re enjoying Malaysia even if not for the most happiest reasons but I hope you have many treasured memories of your loved one.
No booze means it’s not really a trifle. I love a good boozy trifle and this one hits all the highlights for me. I work for the government – this sounds like just the right amount of alcohol.
May 2013 shine and be joyous. May it bring you so many smiles your cheeks ache xxx
Oh and, trifle looks awesome