Just in time for berry season – Fresh Berry Trifle from Chesterfield Inn

It seems like Memorial Day is the semi-official start to summer, and with some comes wonderful berries.  With wonderful berries come fabulous desserts.  Fabulous desserts make us think of DINE inns’ restaurants and afternoon refreshments, each using the freshest in local produce and products each and every day.  This brings us to sharing a wonderful recipe for a Fresh Berry Trifle from the Chesterfield Inn.  When the basket is brimming with berries this summer, plan to try this simple crowd pleaser.  And if baking isn’t your thing during the summer months, fear not because it’s ours! Plan your New England romantic getaway at a Distinctive Inn of New England, and you can be sure the way to your R&R will include your stomach!

Fresh Berry Trifle from Chesterfield Inn

First, make the sponge cake and custard sauce, as follows.

Sponge Cake

12 eggs, separated

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1/2 cup rum or Triple Sec

Beat egg whites to soft peaks and add 1 cup sugar. Add the other 1 cup sugar to the yolks and beat til light colored. Stir in flour, and booze, gently. Fold in the whipped egg whites. Butter a full size sheet pan. Put parchment on pan, and butter that. Spread batter in pan. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes. Cool on rack before removing from pan.

Custard Sauce

9 egg yolks

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 cups milk, scalded

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl over a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes until blended and light colored. Slowly add hot milk and stir over the heat with a wooden spoon. Custard is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove heat, add vanilla, and cool over a bowl of ice. Refrigerate.

To assemble the Trifle:

Slice and sugar 1 quart strawberries. Layer with 1 pint of blueberries and 1 pint raspberries with the sliced sponge and custard sauce in a clear glass bowl. Top with whipped cream. Serve chilled. Yum!

And speaking of great berry recipes, did you see the blog posting we did last year on how to make Blackberry Cobbler?  This recipe and step-by-step guide to the Gateways Inn & Restaurant’s Berry Cobbler might come in handy when you find your baskets overflowing with berries this spring and summer.  Simply click here for the recipe and photos of each step.