Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, fruits plus Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious and party-perfect Trifle! 

My kids and I love Italian Panettone! When the chilly fall season finally arrives, you can be certain that we look for and buy at least a loaf or two of this special holiday bread (or cake as others readily point out but I won't argue with anyone over this! I love it either way!). I compare it to a brioche loaf - deliciously sweet, buttery and tender! During the Christmas season it comes in many varieties - plain, with chocolate chips or loaded with fruits so it's like a fruitcake and taste a little bit like it, too! I guess because it was Christmas I gravitated to the more festive looking Panettone loaf that I saw.

Now, we had an entire loaf of Panettone that we didn't get to eat last Christmas. I was unwell during the holidays so many of my groceries intended for making a Christmas feast were left untouched. However, for New Year's Day I resolved to make something out of the holiday goodies we still had. I wouldn't let any of this delicious bread go unused! The good thing is, since the bread is akin to a fruitcake - it really doesn't expire for several months, so I knew I could still use it up to June!! But hey, why wait that long? I know my family love trifle so I decided I will use this delicious bread to make my family a yummy dessert; also, an easy dessert that I could make even though I wasn't totally well yet.

My husband is English so he naturally loves trifle, too so it was always a winning choice though I told him this is not strictly English but trifle with an Italian flair because I used an Italian holiday bread (or cake!). The freshly whipped cream, custard, nuts and fruit combination (and the chocolate shavings, too!!!) totally made this dessert delicious! My kids and husband suggested that for the next time, I should try either a plain or chocolate loaded Panettone as they felt it would work better with the cherries and raspberries! Of course, naturally cherries and raspberries are chocolate's best friend so I will definitely try that for next time!! Totally, noted. :)

Cherry and Panettone Trifle

By: Manila Spoon
Published: 01/06/2017

Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, fruits plus Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious Trifle!

Ingredients

• 1-2 canned (15 oz) sweet dark Cherries (use 2 cans if doubling the layers)
• 1 (6 oz) package fresh Raspberries
• 1 small loaf of Panettone (about 1 lb)
• 2 cups store-bought or homemade custard (see notes)
• 1 pint whipping cream, freshly whipped with 2 tablespoons Icing sugar
• A handful of sliced Almonds
• Extra Chocolate Shavings

Instructions

1. Drain canned cherries and reserve 1/4 cup of the juice. Reserve 1/2 cup of the juice if doubling the recipe. Slice the Panettone into bite-sized cubes.
2. Spread the cubed Panettone in a trifle bowl (there will be some left-overs). Drizzle with the reserved cherry juice or syrup. Top with the cherries and raspberries.
3. Pour the custard on top of the fruits and then spread the freshly whipped cream all over. Garnish with extra cherries and raspberries, sliced almonds and chocolate shavings. The trifle can be prepared a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Notes: You can use store-bought custard like Ambrosia Devon Custard (1 can if doing only 1 layer) or use Bird's Custard Powder to make your own. Follow directions on the can but use 4 tablespoons powder instead of 2 as you want a thicker custard.
5. Notes: I only made a single layer for each trifle component but you can certainly double it. Simply double the ingredients and double the layers except for the whipped cream as it's the final topping so one is enough.

Yield: 10 Servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 00 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: Holidays, Christmas, Trifle, Panettone, Italian, British, English, Cherries. Raspberries, Fruits