Eggless Custard Dessert: #Christmas Polka Trifle

"Goodbye, farewell, are we to say adieu..."

The newness of the 'New Year' is evanescent. By mid-January it has already become a fast fading memory. The Christmas decorations have already been packed and stored away for the year and the holiday hang-over no longer exists. But in our home something still remained as a lingering memory of Xmas: a bit of Christmas cake! The family was satiated with Xmas goodies and it seemed it had no takers. How sad! Christmas cake is so tasty it shouldn't go a-begging, I said to myself. So, while cooking two kinds of prawn dishes: Prawns with Pineapple and Coconut milk, and Chili Prawns for lunch, I made use of the small time gaps I had in between, to wrap up the festive season with a flourish. It's that easy to make this trifle. Simple, easy and quick is awesome too!

Ingredients

Adjust quantities acc to your requirement 

Christmas Cake.............................................as much as is required for a 1-1 n 1/2 inch base

Cream............................................................as needed

Vanilla extract...............................................1drop

For the custard

Ready mix eggless custard powder, vanilla flavour (I use Brown & Polson).............5 slightly heaped tbsps 

Milk..................................................................1 ltr

Sugar acc to taste

Nutmeg powder or cinnamon powder..............a pinch of either

For the strawberry sauce

Strawberries......................................................8-9, medium large. Puree in a mixer

Sugar.................................................................2-3 tbsps

Layer the bottom of a dish with cake slices, or you could crumble them. Using Christmas cake makes it rich and bursting with awesome flavor. But, any cake does just as well. I love to use an apple cake in a trifle!

To make the custard: keep 2 cups of milk separate and add the nutmeg or cinnamon, whichever you are using, to this milk. Put the rest of the milk to boil. When it heats, before coming to boiling point, add sugar. Check for sweetness.

While the milk is heating on the stove, add the custard powder to the 2 cups of milk and mix well to meld.

When the milk begins to boil, reduce heat to medium low.

Stir the custard-milk mixture well (custard pwdr tends to settle at the bottom) and while constantly stirring the boiling milk, pour in the mixture. Continue to stir vigorously.

When it thickens to setting firmness, remove from stove.

The custard should be smooth, devoid of any lumps.

Pour the hot custard over the entire cake base. There should be enough to drown the cake.

Keep aside, uncovered, to cool.

Strawberry Sauce: Puree the strawberries. Put in a sauce pan and heat on medium heat. 

When it starts to boil, add the sugar and reduce heat to low.

Keep stirring and bring to a bubbly boil. The sauce begins to thicken.

Remove and allow to stand. It needs to cool a bit before you pour it over the custard.

When you spread it over the custard keep about half an inch of custard border along the edges.

Add a drop of vanilla extract to the cream and whip to thicken a bit. Maintain a dropping consistency. However if you wish to pipe it, whip to stiff consistency.

Use the cream as you wish to decorate the top.

I thought of the Christmas Polka....(*smile...*sigh..)

Ta..ta..da...Christmas Polka Trifle is ready to be put in the refrigerator to cool.

Goodbye Christmas, G'bye New Year until we meet again to celebrate life with joy and gratitude.

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