Monster of a Chocolate and Jelly Donut Trifle

Anatomy of a Monster Trifle

I’m guessing it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this isn’t your average trifle. In fact, it wasn’t even something that I looked up on the Internet. Last weekend, I attended a sushi party at a girlfriend’s place. Prior to that, we were on the phone, discussing what we needed to make our sushi rolls smashing when I offered to bring dessert. And somehow the conversation drifted to the subject of donuts and trifle (as you do).

Bam! That was it. The idea of a jelly donut trifle was born.

Instant vanilla pudding - it only takes a minute!

I thought of how to make this materialise. I’ve seen my mom make her usual trifle with Swiss roll, aeroplane jelly, what seemed to be litres of vanilla custard and almond flakes. Since I could afford to go crazy and somehow add chocolate into the equation (what did you expect from a chocoholic, really?), I figured, let’s go all the way and experiment. And I’m glad I did because this was a funky combination. So here’s what my monster of a chocolate and jelly donut trifle consisted of:

Chocolate & coffee agar-agar layer

Bottom layer: chocolate and coffee agar-agar* and donuts

Port wine jelly layer with strawberries

Middle layer: port wine jelly, strawberries and donuts

Vanilla pudding layer

Final layer: vanilla pudding and dark chocolate chips

Are you horribly fascinated? Yes? GOOD!

*Agar-agar is a type of jelly that has a firmer texture than the usual aeroplane jelly, and you can use whatever you wish to give them flavour. Whilst you can find them sold in several forms, I used agar-agar powder.

This trifle is a bit time-consuming as each layer needs a different amount of time to set before you put another layer on top but it is by no means labour intensive. You just need a bit of patience and this dessert will eventually materialise, plus you’ll have plenty of time in between to Facebook stalk so you won’t be bored (this is not a confession to my wrongdoings). Naturally, you can substitute the port wine jelly for any other jelly that you believe will go well with your trifle, as well as your choice of flavour for the pudding. You can also omit the coffee and alcohol in the chocolate layer, or switch it with another liqueur such as Tia Maria or Bailey’s, and I daresay it’ll be just as good. There really isn’t any need for more custard, but you can choose to serve it with whipped cream or ice-cream.

Were monsters ever this crazy? Maybe, but certainly not this delicious.

The trifle monster is complete!

Monster of a Chocolate and Jelly Donut Trifle

Serves at least 10 to 15, depending on portion size

10 sugar donuts, quartered
10 g of agar-agar powder (I used the Swallow Globe brand)
1.45 litres of water
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsps Kahlua (optional)
1 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)
1 sachet of port wine jelly (or any other flavour you like)
200 g of strawberries, hulled & quartered
1 packet of instant vanilla pudding (I used Cottee’s which is prepared with 700 ml of cold milk)
1 handful of dark chocolate chips

1. Lay out half the donuts in the bottom layer of a 3-litre capacity bowl.
2. In a saucepan, dissolve the agar-agar powder and sugar in 1 litre of water on medium heat.
3. Stir in the cocoa powder, coffee, and Kahlua. Let the mixture boil for two minutes.
4. Pour on top of the donuts (which will float but don’t worry about it).
5. Press the donuts to make sure that they absorb the chocolatey liquid, and then let cool slightly before putting it in the fridge for about 45 minutes.
6. Prepare the port wine jelly according to the packet directions.
7. Remove the trifle dish from the refrigerator and lay out the rest of the donuts and strawberries on top of the first layer.
8. Pour the port wine jelly mixture on top and press the donuts on the 2nd layer to absorb the liquid again.
9. Return the dish to the refrigerator to set for 4 hours (unless you used quick-setting, which you’ll have to consult the packet on).
10. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the packet directions (if you use Cottee’s, beat the powder into 700 ml of milk on medium speed with a beater for one minute).
11. Layer this mixture on top and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
12. Refrigerate for another half an hour before serving.