Name: Colin’s raspberry and panna cotta trifle is a must-try this Christmas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10-12
Ingredients: 300ml thickened cream; 2 Tbsp icing sugar mixture; 1/4 cup Greek-style yoghurt; 8 x 125g punnets raspberries (use 2 punnets for the raspberry cream); 6 choc mini sponge rolls, in 2cm slices; 6 mini jam sponge rolls, in 2cm slices, shaved dark chocolate, mint leaves (optional), to decorate; Honey panna cotta; 900ml thickened cream; 500ml full-cream milk; 2 cinnamon quills; 2 tsp ground nutmeg; 2 bay leaves; 1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped; 1/2 cup honey; 7 platinum-strength gelatine leaves; 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt

Colin’s take on the traditional Christmas trifle has us even more excited about the silly season than ever. This panna cotta trifle recipe features silky Italian panna cotta and generous helpings of vibrant, seasonal fruit, it’s the perfect end to Christmas lunch or dinner.

Lighter, brighter, and better than ever – each bite feels special without leaving you in a dessert coma (it happens). Visually stunning, this show-stopping centrepiece is as beautiful as it is delicious. So, what are you waiting for?

Ingredients

300ml thickened cream

2 Tbsp icing sugar mixture

1/4 cup Greek-style yoghurt

8 x 125g punnets raspberries (use 2 punnets for the raspberry cream)

6 choc mini sponge rolls, in 2cm slices

6 mini jam sponge rolls, in 2cm slices, shaved dark chocolate, mint leaves (optional), to decorate

Honey panna cotta

900ml thickened cream

500ml full-cream milk

2 cinnamon quills

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 bay leaves

1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped

1/2 cup honey

7 platinum-strength gelatine leaves

1 cup Greek-style yoghurt

Method

Step 1

For honey pannacotta, combine cream, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves, vanilla bean and honey in a large saucepan on medium heat. Whisk until the mixture is hot (don’t let it boil).

Step 2

Meanwhile, soak gelatine in a large bowl of water for 5–7 minutes to soften. Squeeze out excess water. Add gelatine to the hot pannacotta mixture and stir until gelatine dissolves. Strain into a large bowl. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in yoghurt. Cover and refrigerate for 3–4 hours or until set.

Step 3

To make the raspberry cream, beat 300ml thickened cream and icing sugar mixture to soft peaks. Add yoghurt and 2 punnets raspberries. Whisk to break up the raspberries. Chill.

Step 4

To assemble trifle, add 1/3 cup of pannacotta to a 16-cup capacity trifle dish, spreading over the base of the dish. Top with chocolate sponge and 1 punnet raspberries. Spoon over half the remaining pannacotta, spreading to cover. Layer with vanilla sponge, 1 punnet raspberries and remaining pannacotta.

Step 5

Just before serving, scatter trifle with a handful of raspberries and top with the raspberry cream. Decorate with remaining raspberries, chocolate and mint, if using.

trifle with layers of panna cotta and jam scroll with rapsberries on top

Should a trifle be made the night before?

While you can make this panna cotta trifle recipe on the day, if there are a lot of other moving parts to your Christmas dinner (which there will be), making this the night before is usually a good idea. This allows the flavours to meld together, especially within the sponge layers of the trifle.

Just make sure to hold off on the fresh toppings until just before you’re serving to keep things fresh.

What are the best layers for a trifle?

Now, this is a pretty personal question. Generally, a trifle consists of sponge/cake pieces, custard, fruit pieces, jam and cream. If you love fresh fruit, you can make this layer thicker, or if you can’t get enough of that honey panna cotta layer (we get it), dollop on a generous amount to ensure the flavours soak into all the sponge layers, too.

Colin Fassnidge Chef

Colin brings his signature cheeky Irish flair to Better Homes and Gardens, joining the top-rating lifestyle program during its 30th anniversary year and becoming the latest ingredient in Australia’s favourite Friday night tradition.