When it comes to chocolaty dessert dishes, you can’t go wrong with this cherry trifle. Take your traditional trifle to new chocolaty heights this festive season. Buy ready-made chocolate custard if you’re in a hurry.

Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 C) milk
• 45 ml (3 T) cake flour
• 45 ml (3 T) cocoa powder
• 45 ml (3 T) corn flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 80 g (1 packet) cherry jelly
• 6 chocolate brownies or Swiss roll slices, broken into pieces
• 65 ml (¼ C) brandy or sweet rooibos tea
• 1 x 400 g can Rhodes Quality Very Cherry
• 250 ml (1 C) cream, stiffly beaten

Method

1. To make the custard, place the milk in a saucepan and heat to just boiling.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, corn flour, eggs and egg yolks together.
3. Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture and whisk to mix.
4. Strain the custard back into the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thickened.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Prepare the jelly according to the instructions on the packet and set aside to cool.
7. To assemble the trifles: crumble the brownies or Swiss roll slices into 6 glasses, sprinkle with the brandy or tea and then top with layers of the fruit and syrup of the Rhodes Quality Very Cherry, the custard, the prepared jelly and whipped cream.
8. Finish with the cream and chill the trifles in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.