Written by Annalisa

* About 20 sponge fingers
* 255ml of marsala or sweet sherry (this makes it quite boozy so halve or leave out if children are involved)
* 2 bananas sliced
* 1 tin raspberries
* 2 eggs separated
* 50g caster sugar
* 225g mascarpone
* teaspoon vanilla extract
* flaked almonds

I’ve been making this trifle for years now. It’s unbelievably easy and it’s the best trifle I’ve ever tasted. I also now think of this as the ‘pregnancy test’ trifle as it was the first sign - although I didn’t realise it at the time - that I was pregnant. Just three days after I got pregnant I made this and couldn’t eat it because it tasted UNBELIEVEABLY alcoholic. I was sure I had put double the quantity of sherry in by mistake. Dp said it tasted same as ever but I couldn’t eat it (very rare for me!). It was only two weeks later that I realised that I was pregnant and my body was already rejecting alcohol!

As it contains raw egg I’m afraid it’s not suitable for pregnant women, anyway..

This serves six but only just so make double if you want some left over

If you happen to have the oven on then roast the flaked almonds, otherwise just dry roast them in a frying pan (ie with no oil!) and set aside to cool. You’ll need a largish bowl to make this in but there’s no right or wrong size really so relax. Break the sponge fingers up into pieces and put in the bowl. Poor the sherry/masala over. If need be add more sponge fingers so that they soak it up, but you don’t want too many fingers or it’ll be too dry. Then add the raspberries and banana. If you’re not adding any alcohol - although I warn you this trifle won’t be the same - then add some of the juice of the raspberries from the tin.

Cream the egg yolks with the caster sugar then add the mascarpone and vanilla extract and beat until light and creamy, or your arm starts to hurt. In a separate, clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. It’s 100 time easier to do this with an electric whisk. Then gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk/sugar/mascarpone mixture. Turn the ‘custard’ out onto the fruit/finger mix and sprinkle on the almonds flakes. Cover with cling film and leave to set.

This is best made the morning before you need to eat it. Be warned it is delicious.