three colors trifle

this is my first time making trifle. you may see how messy it is. it doesn't look neat at all. but please remember, looks maybe deceiving. lol. for the exact meaning of trifle, i'm not quite sure whether this dessert i made can be called as trifle. i didn't use sponge cake nor ladyfinger to layer it, i used chocolate soil instead. for some of you who doesn't know what chocolate soil is, well chocolate soil is basically baked crumbs, it almost resembles cheesecake base (with graham crackers crumbs). the difference is in chocolate soil, it is completely made from scratch and it stays as crumbs until it is baked. i got the recipe for this chocolate soil from my cousin, he will soon graduated as a chef! i don't really know where he got the recipe from.

if chocolate soil is the actor of this dessert, then the white chocolate mousse is the actress, together they become superstars. the pressure point is to make the mousse silky smooth. if you can make it silky smooth then this white chocolate mousse will be flawless. it will be so perfect in flavor and also the texture. the keys to make it smooth are a perfect custard and a perfect whipped cream. never ever let your custard overcooked, it will curdle and nobody likes curdled custard. but if somehow you fail and get a slightly curdled custard, you may strain it using a fine mesh sieve, it helps a lot to clarify the custard. over-whipped cream is as bad as curdled custard. if you over whipped your cream, it may become buttery and not creamy anymore. when you whip your cream, stop at the almost stiff peaks not at the stiff peaks stage. however, i'm not Mr. Google nor Ms. Pastry Chef, so please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

this trifle consists of four different layers; they are chocolate soil, white chocolate mousse, strawberry puree, and the last is strawberry jelly. i put the strawberry to cut the sweetness of this trifle, strawberry gives some acidity to it so the trifle could end up in a balance of flavor. but i do regret something from this dessert, the strawberry jelly. it ruins the texture of my white chocolate mousse. maybe i should not put it above the mousse or what, i don't know. i think if i'll make it again, i will omit the strawberry jelly part. you may or maybe should omit that part too.. ;)

Three Colors Trifle
serves 3 glasses

chocolate soil:
25 gr sugar
25 gr almond flour
15 gr plain flour
10 gr cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp butter, melted

**preheat the oven to 150 degree C. combine all the ingredients until resembles the texture of soil. scatter on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

white chocolate mousse:
modified from Claire Robinson, food network
100 gr white chocolate, chopped
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup

**in a large glass bowl. place the chopped white chocolate and set aside. add the yolk and sugar into a small bowl and whisk until pale in color. in a saucepan, over low heat, bring 1/8 cup of the cream to a simmer, slowly add the cream into the yolk and sugar mixture to temper. pour the creamy mixture back into pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of it. pour the hot mixture into a fine mesh sieve placed directly over bowl with the chopped chocolate. stir until completely smooth. in another bowl, whip remaining 1/2 cup of the cream to almost stiff peaks. fold half the whipped cream into the white chocolate custard. mix to lighten and then fold in the remaining whipped cream.

strawberry puree:
8 medium size strawberries, halved
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar

**put all the ingredients in a blender and pulse it until all strawberries are mashed.

assembling:

1. spoon each glass with chocolate soil, level it. layering with white chocolate mousse, strawberry puree, and white chocolate mousse again, and so on. repeat with the remaining mixture.
2. top with sliced strawberries and arrange the slices beautifully on top.

many elements but not too much effort to be put. it tastes delicious for me, how about you?

thanks for reading,

HAPPY EASTER! :)