FIVE CROWNS ENGLISH TRIFLE

English Trifle and Vanilla Pudding Sauce

as served at Five Crowns

1 recipe Vanilla Pudding Sauce, cooled (recipe follows)

1 Cup whipping cream, whipped

2 Tablespoons red raspberry preserves1 (10 inch) round sponge or white cake

¼ cup dark Puerto Rican rum, optional

¼ cup dry sherry

1 Cup frozen raspberries, thawed

Fresh raspberries for garnish

Vanilla Pudding Sauce
¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 (3 inch) piece vanilla bean or

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, well beaten

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Carefully combine cooled Vanilla Pudding Sauce with 1 cup whipped cream. Coat the inside of a deep 10-inch glass bowl with raspberry preserves to within 1 inch of top. Slice cake horizontally into fourths. Place top slice, crust side up, in bottom of bowl, curving edges of cake upward. Combine rum and sherry; sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over cake slice. Spread 1/3 of chilled pudding mixture over cake. Sprinkle 1/3 of raspberries over pudding. Repeat procedure twice. Cover with remaining cake layer, crust side down. Sprinkle with remaining rum-sherry mixture. Place remaining whipped cream in pastry bag with fluted tip; pipe rosettes around edge of bowl and in center. Top with fresh raspberries. Chill at least 8 hours before serving.

Vanilla Pudding Sauce
1 (3 inch) piece vanilla bean or 1 In heavy saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch and salt; add milk and vanilla bean; blend well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly; continue cooking 2 minutes. Stir small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg, return to pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean; add butter and stir to blend. Chill thoroughly, covering top with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming.
Makes 12 servings.