Christmas Trifle

Wait until your smallest helper friend goes down for nap and let the baking begin!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD:

• 9 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Divide the egg yolks and whites with a handy dandy egg separator tool...or just tip them back and forth between a broken shell. Place the yolks in a separate bowl. In your super cool Kitchen Aid mixer beat the yolks and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Slowly pour half the milk into the egg mixture and beat until blended. Pour the mixture into the remaining milk in the pan. Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a boil while whisking constantly. Allow the custard to boil for 1 minute as you continue to whisk. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Let the custard cool about 5 minutes. Poke about a dozen holes in plastic wrap. Then cover custard with the plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the custard directly. Let the custard cool about 10 minutes, then refrigerate it until ready to use. It can refrigerate for about 3 days.

Let your eldest helper friend take a lunch break, therefore maintaining blood sugar levels and circumventing even the slightest brush with any form of melt down trauma.

(back in business)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GINGERBREAD:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dark molasses
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat the oven to 350°. Spray some PAM for baking spray in a 9-inch round cake pan. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

In your super cook Kitchen Aid mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter until it is soft and creamy...about 1 minute. Add the sugar and molasses and beat again until the mixture is well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Slowly pour in the buttermilk and beat well. Reduce the mixer's speed to low and slowly add half the flour mixture to the bowl and beat until blended. Repeat with the other half.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap until ready to use. It can be stored in the pan at room temperature for up to two days.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING AND GARNISH:

• 3 (12-ounce) packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar and
  2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries

In a medium bowl, toss the thawed raspberries and sugar. Remove the gingerbread from the pan and use a serrated knife to slice it into four equal wedges. Turn each wedge on its side and slice it into three equal pieces. Stack them, slice the pile in half, and cut off 1 1/2 inches from the tips, reserving the pieces.

Arrange a layer of six cake wedges over the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart bowl. Fill the center with a few of the trimmings. Spoon and spread 3/4 cup of the raspberry mixture over the cake, then top the fruit with 1 cup of custard. Repeat the layering three more times with the remaining ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours to let the flavors meld (the dessert can be stored overnight).

Before serving, make the whipped cream. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream on top of the trifle, and garnish it with the fresh raspberries.

Eat after dinner...
and again for breakfast the next day...
and for snack time...

In the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, this recipe is from Family Fun Magazine:
Farrell-Kingsley, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/christmas-recipes/christmas-desserts/christmas-candy-treats/gingerbread-trifle-953181/

Whoop! Whoop!