Plum trifle with Stolen rum and lemon curd

Kieran Scott

Here is a recipe for a dish that I promise tastes just as good as it looks — just like great wine drunk from a tumbler, perhaps make this dessert in an old coffee mug, and use that other trick we chefs have up our sleeve... the element of surprise. Feel free to use store-bought sponge fingers and lemon curd if you wish.

Poached plums & lemon curd

250 g	Brown sugar
300 g	Water
½ stick	Cinnamon
1	Star anise
1 kg	Plums, use fresh dark plums, stoned and quartered (Main)
½ cup	Sugar
4	Egg yolks
½ cup	Water
2 Tbsp	Cornflour
4	Lemons, zested and juiced
1 pinch	Flaky sea salt
75 g	Unsalted butter, diced and chilled

Thin sponge

6	Eggs
185 g	Sugar
185 g	Flour, sifted twice
75 g	Unsalted butter, melted

To assemble

6 Tbsp	Rum, I used Stolen Gold
1 cup	Cream, whipped
1 block	Dark chocolate
1	Lime, zested
4	Gingernuts, smashed in a teatowel with a rolling pin

Directions

Poached plums

1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a simmer.
2. Add prepared plums and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until almost tender, but holding their shape.
3. Pour into a large dish to cool quickly.

One-pot lemon curd

1. In a medium saucepan, off the heat, combine the sugar and egg yolks. Whisk to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk ½ cup water and cornflour until smooth, add this to the egg mix.
3. Add the lemon zest, juice and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly until it begins to thicken and bubble like Rotorua.
4. Remove from the heat and stir through the butter. Place in a piping bag and allow to cool.

Thin sponge

1. Line a cake tin with baking paper, preheat oven to 180C.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a large clean bowl.
3. Sift in the flour and gently fold in until almost combined. Fold in the butter.
4. Pour mix carefully into the lined cake tin and bake for 15-25 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly.
5. Turn out on a cake rack and allow to cool completely. Cut into rounds or desired shape.

To assemble

1. Place poached plums into the bottom of 4-6 glasses.
2. Pipe on the lemon curd.
3. Soak your sponge rounds in a mix of ½ cup of the reserved plum syrup and 6 Tbsp of Stolen Gold Rum.
4. Once the sponge has absorbed the liquid, place the sponge on top of the curd.
5. Follow with 2 or 3 good dollops of freshly whipped cream. Spoon over a little of the leftover rum and plum syrup (be generous if you want a good kick of rum).
6. Sprinkle copiously with crushed gingernuts, shaved dark chocolate and some lime zest.