Annie Bell's Saffron Trifle

You will need a 20cm serving bowl about 9cm deep (or use individual serving dishes). For the jelly, soak the gelatine in a little cold water in a small bowl for
5 minutes, then drain.

Pour over 2-3 tbsp boiling water and stir to dissolve. Pour the juice into a bowl. Spoon 6 tbsp of the juice into the gelatine solution 1 tbsp at a time, then stir this back into the bowl of juice. Cover and chill for several hours until set.

For the custard, in a medium-size nonstick pan, whisk the egg yolks and icing sugar until smooth. Whisk in the flour a third at a time until you have a thick, creamy paste. In a small pan, bring the milk to the boil. Pour a little over the ground saffron, then whisk this into the custard mixture, followed by the remaining milk, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated.

Return the pan to a low heat and cook for a few minutes until the custard thickens, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon or mini whisk to smooth out any lumps. The custard shouldn’t boil, but the odd bubble will ensure that it’s hot enough to thicken properly. Cook for a few minutes longer, again stirring constantly. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm and leave to cool to room temperature.
To assemble the trifle, arrange the cake slices over the base of the serving bowl, cutting them to fit. Drizzle over the wine.

Run a fork through the jelly to break it up, then spoon it over the cake slices. Whisk the custard until smooth and spoon this evenly over the jelly, starting carefully at the outside to prevent it sinking.

Whisk the cream, smooth over the custard, cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Decorate with macaroons just before serving.