I think we all know what a trifle is (and in case you don’t, I went into the history of it here), but what is a terrine? If you look up that word by itself, you’ll discover that it usually refers to a loaf-shaped dish of coarsely ground meat, fish, or vegetables bound together with egg or aspic. It is generally served cold and sliced. It gets its name from the vessel in which it is cooked, as the French word terrine originally referred to a large earthenware pot, from which we get the English word tureen. Someone decided to put the two words together and came up with a layered dessert made in a loaf pan that is served in slices. It is also sometimes called a trifle slice.
For this challenge, the judges specified that each trifle terrine should contain a baked element, a set custard or mousse, and a jelly layer. They also wanted it to be ornamental, and each slice should look “as good as the whole.” Paul Hollywood called it a “masterclass in gelatin” and said it was “all about textures, definitive layers, and beautiful flavors.”
Inspired by the classic elements of another layered dessert, I’m calling my creation Spumoni Spectacular Trifle Terrine. A traditional Italian-American treat, spumoni usually features layers of pistachio, cherry, and chocolate, but some versions swap out the chocolate for vanilla or almond so the three colors mimic the red, white, and green of the Italian flag. I figured, why choose? My spumoni trifle is composed of four different flavors, plus an amaretti cookie crumble on the bottom.
Because the trifle will be turned out of the tin, it must be built from top to bottom. Most of the bakers in the Great White Tent made the jelly layer first, so it would be the topmost layer when turned upside down. And who am I to argue with them? From top to bottom, here are my layers:
- Amarena cherry jelly with whole cherries
- Amaretto panna cotta
- Chocolate mousse
- Amaretto panna cotta with chopped amarena cherries
- Pistachio Bavarian cream
- Amaretti cookie crumble
These represent some of my favorite gelato flavors and when combined, they transport me back to the colorful displays of frozen confections in the gelateria cases of outdoor cafés lining the sun-drenched piazzas of Rome’s Centro Storico.
As Paul said, making a trifle terrine is a masterclass in gelatin. Every layer must be chilled before the next one can be added, and the whole thing must be set without being too firm. Like most of the bakers in the Great White Tent, I wanted to use leaf gelatin rather than the powdered Knox gelatin that’s ubiquitous in the U.S. Leaf gelatin has a smoother texture and greater transparency. I did a lot of research on substituting powdered gelatin with leaf gelatin, working with the different strengths of leaf gelatin (silver vs. gold vs. platinum, etc.), and how alcohol and dairy affect gelatin’s properties. (Turns out, they both increase its jelling strength.)
Eventually, though, I had to just dive in and start cooking. For the jelly layer, I followed the rule of thumb of 7 grams of leaf gelatin (3½ sheets of gold strength) to 1 cup of liquid. For the panna cotta, I adapted this recipe to use leaf gelatin, reducing the milk by ¼ cup since I softened the gelatin in water instead of milk. The chocolate mousse layer is adapted from this simple recipe for chocolate mousse cake, and I adapted this recipe for the pistachio bavarois.
If you aren’t familiar with Amarena cherries, I highly recommend you make their acquaintance. They’re like maraschino cherries but much more sophisticated. Amarena is a specific variety of sour cherry that’s grown in Bologna and Modena, Italy. When bottled in syrup, they have an intense sweet-sour flavor and deep red color that is often used to enhance cocktails and adorn fancy desserts. Fortunately, I found some at my local Trader Joe’s, where they were much less expensive than any I could find online.
For the baked element, I turned to another Italian favorite — amaretti cookies. Roughly translated “little bitter things,” amaretti are traditionally made with armelline, or apricot kernels, which impart a slight bitterness to the mixture of ground almonds, egg whites and sugar. If you, like me, can’t locate armelline, you can substitute a small amount of bitter almond extract. This I found at a local European foods market under a brand name I was familiar with from my time in Germany as a college student — Dr. Oetker. If you can’t find that, either, I would suggest using regular almond extract, to taste.
While you may have read that bitter almond is poisonous, it loses its toxicity when cooked or processed, so you needn’t worry. I also read that Dr. Oetker’s bitter almond is synthetic, although I haven’t been able to verify that for myself. Even so, the recipe I used calls for only five drops!
Amaretti can be soft and chewy or crisp and crunchy — perfect for dunking in a cup of espresso. I needed the crispy kind so I could make a crumb crust for my trifle terrine. This recipe delivered exactly the texture I was looking for. Although I rolled the dough into balls as the recipe indicated, when I took the cookies out of the oven, they looked like the victims of a minor explosion! But they tasted great, and they were nice and crunchy — perfect for crushing into crumbs.
While chilling and setting each layer is somewhat time consuming, it allows you to stretch the process out over several days if you want. If you do, however, I would suggest placing plastic wrap directly on the surface of each layer when storing it in the fridge. This will prevent a skin from forming as well as protect it from absorbing odors.
When my final layer had set, I crushed the amaretti and combined the crumbs with melted butter and a pinch of salt and sprinkled them over the top (soon to be bottom) of the terrine.
This labor of love for all things creamy, cool and delicious results in a luscious summery dessert. From the cherries in the top layer that offer themselves up in a sumptuous chew, to the satisfying crunch of the amaretti crumble on the bottom, it hits all the right notes — like an adult version of a multi-scoop ice cream sundae you might have ordered at an old-fashioned soda fountain as a kid.
Spumoni Spectacular Trifle Terrine
Amarena cherry jelly adapted from GlutenFreeOnAShoestring.com
Amaretto panna cotta adapted from CookingWithNonna.com
Credit for chocolate mousse: ZhangCatherine.com
Pistachio bavarois adapted from DeNigris1889.com
For the amaretti crumble crust:
- 7 oz. blanched, sliced almonds
- 2/3 c. granulated sugar
- 1¼ c. powdered sugar
- 3 T. egg whites (from about 2 medium eggs)
- 5 drops bitter almond extract
- ¼ t. baking powder
- Pinch kosher salt
- 5 T. unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the almonds on it in a single layer. Toast them in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and leave to cool. Turn oven down to 350°F.
- Transfer cooled almonds to a food processor. (Keep the parchment-lined baking sheet for the cookies.) Add the granulated sugar and powdered sugar. (If you have a small food processor, do this in batches.) Process until very fine, being careful not to overheat the food processor.
- Transfer the almond-sugar mixture to a medium bowl. Add the baking powder, egg whites and bitter almond extract. Mix well, first with a spoon, and then finish by kneading with your hands. It should become a soft but firm, homogeneous dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Form dough into small balls, about ¾-1 inch in diameter. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, an inch or so apart, and flatten them slightly in the center with your thumb. (NOTE: I forgot to flatten mine, which could be why they spread out like squashed frogs!) You might need another parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake cookies in preheated oven for 15-17 minutes until slightly golden and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. (As they cool, they will become crispier.)
- Weigh out 5 ounces of cookies and place them in a zip-lock bag. Use a rolling pin to crush them into coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a small bowl and stir in melted butter and salt. Set aside until ready to use.
For the Amarena cherry jelly:
- 16 oz. jar of Amarena cherries (preferably with stems)
- 3½ leaves gelatin (gold strength)
Directions
- Line a 6-cup-capacity loaf pan with a piece of plastic wrap large enough that the edges hang over the sides of the pan. Place in refrigerator to chill.
- Soak gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Drain cherries, pouring juice into a measuring cup and reserving the cherries.
- Add enough water to the juice to make 1 cup. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
- Squeeze excess water from gelatin and add the gelatin to the hot juice, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Pour mixture into the chilled loaf pan.
- Set aside 13 cherries. Remove stems from the remaining cherries and arrange cherries upside down in the jelly in three rows running the length of the pan. Refrigerate until set (about 3 hours).
For the amaretto panna cotta:
- 1½ c. heavy cream
- 1 c. whole milk
- ¼ c. amaretto liqueur
- ¼ c. granulated sugar
- 3½ leaves gelatin (gold strength)
- ¼ t. almond extract (or to taste)
- ¼ t. vanilla extract
Directions
- Soak gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften.
- Pour cream, milk, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Warm gently over low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and cream starts to bubble lightly at the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat.
- Squeeze excess water from gelatin and add the gelatin to the warm cream mixture, stirring with a whisk until gelatin has dissolved. The mixture should be quite smooth.
- Strain mixture into a clean bowl. Stir in amaretto and extracts until thoroughly combined.
- Set bowl over an ice bath. Stir frequently to promote even cooling until mixture develops the consistency of high-fat heavy cream.
- Remove loaf pan from fridge and pour half the panna cotta mixture over the set jelly layer. Smooth with an offset spatula. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the panna cotta and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.
- Keep remaining panna cotta mixture at room temperature and continue stirring frequently to prevent it from setting.
For the chocolate mousse:
- 1 gelatin sheet (gold strength)
- 3 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/4 c. whole milk
- 2/3 c. heavy cream
Directions
- Soak gelatin leaf in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk. Immediately remove from heat and pour the hot milk over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds, then gently stir with a spatula until smooth and chocolate is completely melted. (If chocolate doesn’t melt completely, place bowl over a pan of hot water over low heat, stirring constantly until fully melted.)
- Squeeze excess water from gelatin and stir the gelatin into the chocolate mixture until gelatin is dissolved. It should have the consistency of mayonnaise.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form.
- Slowly fold the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream with a large spatula until fully incorporated. Do not overmix, as this can deflate the air in the mousse.
- Remove loaf pan from fridge and pour the mousse over the panna cotta, smoothing with an offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the mousse to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the freezer for a few minutes to set quickly.
- Reserve three cherries with stems. Remove stems from remaining 10 cherries and chop them roughly. Stir them into the remaining panna cotta, then spoon panna cotta over the mousse, leaving enough room for the bavarois layer (½-¾ inch). Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the panna cotta. Refrigerate until set. (If you have extra panna cotta, spoon it into a ramekin and refrigerate for your enjoyment later!)
For the pistachio bavarois:
- 1½ gelatine leaves (gold strength)
- ½ c. whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 T. caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt (to taste)
- ½ bourbon vanilla pod or 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 oz. pistachios, finely ground
- ½ c. heavy cream
- Green food color (opt.)
Directions
- Soak gelatin in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Place a clean, empty bowl in the freezer.
- Heat milk and vanilla bean (if using) in a saucepan over medium-low heat just until it boils. Separately, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract (if using), and salt.
- When the milk is hot, slowly pour it into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Then pour everything back into the pan, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, and heat it over low heat to 180°F. (If you do not have a thermometer, cook for 8-10 minutes maximum over low heat until the custard coats the spatula.)
- Remove bowl from freezer and strain the mixture into it. Squeeze excess water from gelatin leaves and stir the gelatin into the hot mixture until gelatin is dissolved.
- Stir in the pistachios, blending with a hand blender until smooth, if necessary. Add a drop or two of green food coloring, if desired. Cover and allow to cool at room temperature, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 75-85°F.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks and put it in the refrigerator until custard has cooled. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard in 2 or 3 batches.
- Remove loaf pan from fridge and pour the bavarois over the panna cotta, leaving just enough room for the crumb crust. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the bavarois. Refrigerate until set. (If you have extra bavarois, spoon it into a ramekin and refrigerate for your enjoyment later!)
- Sprinkle the buttered amaretti crumbs over the bavarois in an even layer, pressing down lightly. Tightly wrap the trifle with plastic wrap and chill until set.
For decoration:
- ½ c. heavy cream
- 1 T. powdered sugar
- 3 Amarena cherries, with stems
- 1-2 T. chopped pistachios
Directions
- To finish, whip cream with powdered sugar and place in piping bag fitted with a star tip. Unwrap and turn out the trifle onto a serving platter, removing plastic wrap. Pipe three peaks of whipped cream down the center of the trifle. Sprinkle with pistachios and top with cherries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Here's the Dish 