Plum, chocolate and whiskey cream trifle

Method

1. Remove the pits from the plums and cut the fruit into quarters. Pop it into a saucepan along with two teaspoons of sugar, the allspice and the juice and zest of an orange. Bring to a soft boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the fruit softens. You want to the fruit to be soft but to retain its shape, so do not overcook it, about ten minutes should easily do it. Set aside and allow to cool before chilling the compote in the fridge. You can make the compote a day in advance if you wish.

2. Pour the cream into a large bowl along with the sugar and whiskey. Whisk until it thickens into soft peaks.

3. When you are ready to serve dessert, spoon a few tablespoons of compote into the base of a glass. Cut a few rough cubes of Swiss roll and add that to the glass. Spoon a generous amount of custard on top of the cake, add another layer of compote and then a generous amount of whiskey cream. Crush some amaretti biscuits and sprinkle them over the cream before dusting the top with a little grated dark chocolate.
   
   Photographed by Bríd O'Donovan