Christmas cake trifle

“This is a great way to use up leftover Christmas __cake or pudding. The amounts given here are just a guide – adjust it according to how much leftover __cake you have, and whatever fruits you have to hand. ”

1 small mango

1 small pineapple

1/2 pomegranate

100 ml dark rum

4 tablespoons flaked almonds

1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 splash of golden rum

250 g Christmas pudding or fruit cake

250 ml thick custard

120 g quality cherry jam

2 clementines

230 ml double cream

15 g dark chocolate (70%)

Method

1. Prepare the mango and pineapple, roughly chopping the all the flesh. Place in a bowl along with the pomegranate seeds. Mix in 20ml of the dark rum and set aside.
2. Heat a pan over a medium heat, add the almonds and sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Add the golden rum and cook for a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
3. Roughly chop the Christmas pudding or cake, then place in a 1.5-litre glass bowl and press firmly into the base. Drizzle over the remaining 80ml dark rum then pour over the custard.
4. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 3 hours so the custard can set a little.
5. Remove the trifle from the fridge and spoon the cherry jam over the custard. Finely grate the clementine zest and put aside, then break up into segments. Add the chopped fruit to the trifle, then layer over the clementine segments.
6. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then use it to top the trifle. Decorate with the toasted almonds, scatter over the reserved clementine zest, then shave over the chocolate and serve.