This pudding uses tsoureki from my recipe for ‘My Easter Filled Chocolate Tsoureki’.
It makes a wonderful, rich dessert which goes a long way and is therefore perfect for large gatherings or celebrations. You can make it the day before and store in the fridge until serving.
Ingredients (serves 10-12)
500g chocolate tsoureki, sliced thinly
For the syrup
- 150g granulated sugar
- 125 ml water
- 35ml masticha liqueur
For the custard
- 4 large egg yolks
- 600ml full fat milk
- 500ml double cream
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in the middle
- 3 tbsp corn flour
- 150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 500g mascarpone cheese
- 35ml masticha liqueur
For the Italian meringue
- 200g granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 4 large egg whites
Method
Start by making the syrup. Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a medium heat, stirring for the sugar to dissolve. Bring to the boil and let the syrup cook for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it to cool. Stir the masticha liqueur in it.
Brush each slice of tsoureki generously with the syrup and line the bottom and sides of a trifle bowl.
To make the custard, put the milk and 200ml of the double cream in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds off the vanilla bean and add to the saucepan together with the bean. Bring to the boil.
In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks with the sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Drain the milk and pour some into the bowl in a thin stream whisking all the time. Return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and stir. In a small cup, dissolve the corn flour into 100ml of water and add that to the saucepan too. Cook the custard for a few minutes to thicken. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes to cook out the corn flour. Remove from the heat and pour half of the custard into a bowl.
Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, add to the bowl containing half the custard and stir well.
Cover both the vanilla and the chocolate custard with plastic film touching the surface to avoid a skin forming and leave the custards to cool.
In a clean bowl, beat the double cream to soft peaks. Add the mascarpone and beat for a few more seconds to fully incorporate.
Empty half the mascarpone cream into the bowl containing the chocolate custard and use a spatula to fold the cream into the custard. Empty the other half into the vanilla custard. Add the masticha liqueur and using a second spatula fold in gently to incorporate.
Pour half the white cream into the bowl, top with more slices of tsoureki brushed with the syrup and top with the remaining vanilla custard. Add another layer of tsoureki, brushing that too generously with the syrup and top with the chocolate custard. Transfer to the fridge to chill.
To make the Italian meringue, bring the water and sugar to the boil till it reaches the soft ball stage, around 116-118 0 C. In the meantime, in a stand mixer beat the egg whites till they form soft peaks. Add the caramel in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl of the mixer while it is working until you have a thick and glossy meringue.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag and pipe the surface of the trifle to decorate. Use a blow torch to brown the meringue peaks a little and return to the fridge till you need to serve the dessert.
This would go beautifully with a home made cherry or other red fruit compote or macerated strawberries.