Strawberry gum, cherry and riberry tapioca trifle

Kind of like a super-grown-up chia pudding, in trifle form. Give it a go for any festive occasion — the flavours are incredible. You can use chia in place of tapioca if you prefer, and any fruity liqueur or syrup will work for the sponge.

Strawberry gum, cherry and riberry tapioca trifle Credit: Murdoch Books / Josh Geelen

• serves

  10

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 cups (275 g) fresh (or frozen and thawed) native cherries
• 3½ cups (480 g) fresh (or frozen and thawed) cherries
• 1¼ cups (200 g) riberries or lilly pillies
• 2 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra to taste
• 6 strawberry gum leaves or 1 tsp powder
• 80 g (2¾ oz) tapioca (sago)
• 400 g (14 oz) packet ladyfinger or savoiardi biscuits, or ½ bought sponge cake
• 1–1½ cups (250–375 ml) Økar amaro (or other amaro)
• Edible flowers, to serve

Wattleseed custard

• 350 ml (12 fl oz) milk
• 3 free-range eggs
• ¼ cup (30 g) cornflour
• ⅓ cup (75 g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1–2 tsp wattleseed extract (see Note)

Cherry cream

• ⅔ cup (160 ml) pure cream
• 1 tbsp pure icing sugar
• ½ tsp cherry or almond essence

Cooling time: 1-2 hours.

Instructions

1. For wattleseed custard, whisk milk, eggs and cornflour together in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Whisk constantly for 5 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and wattleseed extract until dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set.
2. Put cherries, riberries, sugar and strawberry gum leaves in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in). Place over low-medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, continuing to stir, for about 2 minutes or until cherries are soft. Remove from heat and remove strawberry gum leaves.
3. Cook tapioca using the instructions on the packet and rinse under cold water to remove starch.
4. For cherry cream, whip cream and icing sugar with an electric hand mixer until almost thick. Slowly drizzle in cherry essence and continue to whip until thick enough to hold the mixer up without it falling off.
5. To serve, arrange biscuits or sponge in the bottom of a large glass serving bowl. Pour Økar over to your preferred level of sogginess. Spoon most of the fruit on top, then pour in wattleseed custard. Spoon tapioca on top, then a layer of cherry cream. Decorate with remaining fruit, and garnish with edible flowers.

Note

• For wattleseed extract, add 1 tbsp ground wattleseed to a small coffee plunger and pour in ¼ cup (60 ml) boiling water. Leave for 2 minutes to steep, then plunge as normal. (Alternatively, brew it in a tea infuser.)

Substitution options (if required)

Native cherries - Cherries

Riberries or lilly pillies - Blueberries

Wattleseed extract - ground coffee or vanilla extract

Recipe and image from First Nations Food Companion by Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan, photography by Josh Geelen (Murdoch Books $49.99).   

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.