The best trifle recipe ever

‘If you're not a sucker (as I am) for a good trifle, I challenge you to try this and not have your opinion changed. If you go to the lengths of finding some good, ripe raspberries in season and some tender, juicy peaches (a harder job, but well worth the effort) to make this altogether better take on a peach Melba, then I think you might be pretty close to finding the definition of happiness. Which part of the homemade custard, whizzed-together lemon syllabub and layers of luscious fruit is there not to like? If you can't find Devon raspberry liqueur, use cassis instead, and present this with an air of insouciance at a really fabulous summer lunch'

Thomasina Miers

Peach and raspberry trifle with Devon raspberry liqueur Extract from Tamasin Day-Lewis's Simply The Best Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson This is no mere trifle. It is wondrously rich, fruity and full of hidden depths.

Serves 6

Ingredients 5 macaroons 250ml (8fl oz) white wine 4-6tbsp raspberry liqueur 600ml (1 pint) organic double cream 300ml (half pint) milk 2 eggs and 2 yolks 1tbsp sifted cornflour Vanilla caster sugar, to taste 325g (12oz) raw raspberries Icing sugar, to taste 5 ripe peaches Juice of a lemon

Method

Put the macaroons into a large glass bowl and pour over 125ml (4fl oz) of the white wine and 2-3 tablespoons of raspberry liqueur.

Now bring the milk and 300ml (10fl oz) of the double cream to scalding point, and pour them over the two eggs and two yolks, which you have beaten with the sifted cornflour. Return to the pan and whisk until thickened. Add vanilla caster sugar to taste, and pour over the macaroons.

Purée the raw raspberries in a food processor, sieve and add icing sugar to taste. Pour this mixture over the cooled custard. Scald the peaches, skin and slice them, and place on the raspberries. In a bowl, combine the juice of a lemon, the rest of the white wine and the raspberry liqueur, and stir in 25g (1oz) sugar until dissolved.

Taste for sweetness. Pour over the remaining 300ml (10fl oz) organic double cream and whisk until thickened but not stiff. The mixture will have a lovely peachy blush to it. Top the peaches with it. Sheer hedonism. My next-door neighbour snuck in for some at teatime because she'd spotted it before lunch.

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