White chocolate mousse and summer fruit's trifle

Making this white chocolate mousse and tropical fruit trifle for dessert for a family gathering we will attend on Sunday night to celebrate the 68th Anniversary of my parents Wedding Day.   Dad passed away in 1994, however we still celebrate the day as it marks the day our family began.  We will gather at my sister Carmel's home in Yokine, who had calculated the anniversary to be 58 years, so we had a laugh when after I asked if she knew how old our eldest brother Pat would be this year and she realised he will be 67.

The dessert is based on a recipe I found at Christmas time in the West Australian online edition, I say based on as I have changed a few things and just hope it works out OK, never having made a trifle of any kind before I am not sure what to expect, and will have to wait and see how it goes on the night.

There are a few steps to making this, but the good thing is you can do it in stages and then bring it all together to about 90% complete before sitting it in the fridge over night and then completing it the following day just before serving.

Meringue, for topping
1 egg white
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon icing sugar.
Pre-heat conventional oven to 120C.
Beat the egg white until nice and frothy, add the vinegar, salt and half the sugar, beat more and when combined, rain remaining sugar in until well beaten and the mixture forms soft white peaks, sprinkle icing sugar over the top and gently fold in with a spatular.  Transfer into a piping bag fitted with 1.5 cm nozzle and pipe mix onto a lined baking tray, making tall spirals 2 - 5 cm high, place into oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Store in an airtight container until required.

Berry fruit marinade
200ml fresh orange juice (about 4 large navels)
1 tbsp icing sugar
120 ml Cointreau (use rose water if you prefer non alcoholic)
300g frozen berries
Squeeze oranges, combine the juice in a bowl with icing sugar, Cointreau (or rosewater) mix well and then add frozen berries, combine and set aside.

Mousse
250g block Cadbury's Premium White Chocolate
5 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
200ml thickened cream
Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Beat the egg whites and half the sugar until the sugar has dissolved, then slowly rain the remaining sugar in whilst beating, continue beating until the mixture holds soft white peaks.  Gently fold in half the cream, then half the cooled melted chocolate, when well combined add the other half of the cream, once folded through fold the remaining chocolate through. Place in the refrigerator until required.

Trifle Layers
2-3 ripe mangoes, diced 1cm cubes
6 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
6 thick slices Panatone
Berry fruit marinade
Small can Passion-fruit pulp

To garnish
Icing sugar
Fresh berries

Ready to go in the fridge overnight

To put the trifle together, layer the bottom of your bowl with half the panatone slices, spoon half the berry marinade over the top of slices, then half of the dice mango and kiwi fruit, using a spoon scatter dollops of the passion-fruit pulp over the fruit, then cover with half of the chocolate mousse, smooth the surface and repeat process to add another layer the same on top, cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, unwrap and cover the top with the meringues, add berries in between and then dust with a little icing sugar.

And I must say I am very happy with the way it looks, finished off with the meringue, fresh strawberries and cherries, can't wait to dig in!