Mary Berry’s Pear Trifle is a timeless Christmas classic, a delightful combination of fruity goodness, sponge cake, and creamy custard that’s a real crowd-pleaser. This indulgent dessert is a must-have on the holiday table, loved for its heavenly layers of flavour and texture. Let’s dive into how to create this festive masterpiece that’ll become a cherished part of your Christmas traditions.
Prep: 30 mins Total: 2 hr 30 mins Yields: 8
Why you’ll love it
- Christmas Tradition: Mary Berry’s Pear Trifle is a festive favourite that brings a sense of tradition and nostalgia to your holiday feast.
- Layered Delight: With each spoonful, you’ll savour the contrast of soft, juicy pears, tender trifle sponges, and the rich creaminess of custard and whipped cream.
- Effortless Elegance: Despite its impressive appearance, this trifle is surprisingly easy to assemble, making it a fantastic choice for busy holiday preparations.
- Customizable: You can make this trifle your own by adjusting the ingredients to suit your taste. Swap out the biscuits or experiment with different types of fruit.
Mary Berry Pear Trifle Recipe
What is Mary Berry’s Christmas trifle with pears?
Mary Berry’s Pear Trifle is a delectable holiday dessert that boasts layers of canned pears, trifle sponges, strawberry jam, sherry-soaked biscuits, fresh vanilla custard, and a generous topping of whipped cream and toasted flaked almonds. It’s a delightful medley of flavours and textures that perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas.
Ingredients
- Pears – 1 x 400g can pears in natural juice
- Trifle sponges – 1 packet containing 8 sponges
- Strawberry jam – as needed
- Dry Sherry – 75ml medium dry sherry
- Ratafia biscuits – 10 ratafia biscuits or almond biscuits (like macaroons)
- Vanilla custard – 600ml (store-bought) good quality fresh vanilla custard
- Double cream – 300ml double cream
- Almonds – 25g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Drain the pears, but be sure to save the juice.
- Cut the pears into small pieces.
- Split the trifle sponges in half and sandwich them together with the strawberry jam.
- Measure out the sherry in a measuring jug, and then top it up to 150ml with the reserved pear juice. If you prefer your trifle without sherry, you can use all of the pear juice, which should amount to about 150ml.
- Take a glass serving dish, approximately 20cm in diameter and 6cm deep.
- Place half of the chopped pears in the bottom of the dish.
- Follow this with half of the prepared trifle sponges, then add the remaining pears, and finally, the remaining sponges.
- Sprinkle the ratafias evenly on top.
- Now, pour the sherry and pear juice mixture evenly over the layered ingredients.
- Pour the custard over the top layer.
- Whip the cream in a separate bowl until it just holds its shape.
- Spoon the whipped cream gently over the custard, smoothing it out evenly, or fluffing it up, as you prefer.
- Chill the trifle in the refrigerator.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the toasted flaked almonds on top.
Tips
- If you need to toast flaked almonds yourself, place them in a dry pan on the hob over medium heat. Keep them moving with a wooden spoon and keep a close eye on them, as they can quickly become overdone.
- This trifle is an excellent dessert to prepare a day in advance. Allowing it to sit in the fridge overnight lets the flavours meld together beautifully. Just remember to scatter the almonds over the top right before serving.
Variations
- You can experiment with different fruit variations like peaches, berries, or even a combination of your favourites.
- For a non-alcoholic version, skip the sherry and use pear juice or apple juice for a kid-friendly alternative.
How to serve Mary Berry Trifle?
- Serve Mary Berry’s Pear Trifle in clear, glass trifle bowls to showcase its beautiful layers.
- Chill it for a few hours before serving to let the flavors meld together.
- Garnish generously with the toasted flaked almonds just before serving.
- It’s the perfect sweet ending to your Christmas feast, sure to leave everyone craving seconds!
You might like more…
MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES:
- Mary Berry Fruit Scones
- Mary Berry Gingerbread
- Mary Berry Bakewell Tart
- Jamie Oliver Chicken & Mushroom Lasagne
- Jamie Oliver Dauphinoise Potatoes
- Ina Garten Meatloaf Recipe
Mary Berry Pear Trifle
Christmas just wouldn't feel complete without a serving of trifle! This recipe is a time-tested classic that my family always looks forward to. Nowadays, you can find some excellent ready-made fresh vanilla custards at the supermarket, but of course, if you prefer, you can still whip up your own homemade custard.
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g can pears in natural juice
- 1 packet trifle sponges containing 8 sponges
- strawberry jam
- 75 ml medium dry sherry
- about 10 ratafia biscuits or broken almond biscuits such as macaroons
- 600 ml bought good-quality fresh vanilla custard
- 300 ml double cream
- 25 g flaked almonds lightly toasted
Instructions
- Drain the pears, but be sure to save the juice.
- Cut the pears into small pieces.
- Split the trifle sponges in half and sandwich them together with the strawberry jam.
- Measure out the sherry in a measuring jug, and then top it up to 150ml with the reserved pear juice. If you prefer your trifle without sherry, you can use all of the pear juice, which should amount to about 150ml.
- Take a glass serving dish, approximately 20cm in diameter and 6cm deep.
- Place half of the chopped pears in the bottom of the dish.
- Follow this with half of the prepared trifle sponges, then add the remaining pears, and finally, the remaining sponges.
- Sprinkle the ratafias evenly on top.
- Now, pour the sherry and pear juice mixture evenly over the layered ingredients.
- Pour the custard over the top layer.
- Whip the cream in a separate bowl until it just holds its shape.
- Spoon the whipped cream gently over the custard, smoothing it out evenly, or fluffing it up, as you prefer.
- Chill the trifle in the refrigerator.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the toasted flaked almonds on top.
Notes
- If you need to toast flaked almonds yourself, place them in a dry pan on the hob over medium heat. Keep them moving with a wooden spoon and keep a close eye on them, as they can quickly become overdone.
- This trifle is an excellent dessert to prepare a day in advance. Allowing it to sit in the fridge overnight lets the flavors meld together beautifully. Just remember to scatter the almonds over the top right before serving.
I haven’t tried this yet but I’m preparing my menu for Christmas! I’m a big fan of pear recipes especially in October and November . Do you have other popular pear recipes by Mary Berry or any other I can try ?