At any summer garden party, there’s one classic Aussie dessert that’s guaranteed to keep everyone happy. What goes into your trifle? Cherries? Rum? Beef? Either way, we have you covered for an easy-peasy trifle recipe to start with, and an extra special something to top it off.

Easy custard and berry trifle

Serves 6 | Prep 35 mins

For the custard

• 300ml pure cream
• 300ml milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar

For the trifle

• 2 tsp finely grated orange zest, plus extra zest to serve
• 9 jam mini rolls, cut into 3cm slices
• 250g fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
• 125g fresh blueberries
• 250g fresh raspberries
• 2 Tbsp chopped pistachio kernels
• 300ml thickened cream, whipped

For the custard, combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to just a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk yolks, cornflour, vanilla, and sugar together in a large heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture until smooth.

Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until custard

thickens and thickly coats the back of a spoon.

Serve warm or transfer to a glass bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from

forming). Set aside to chill in the fridge.

For the trifle, stir orange zest through the chilled custard.

Layer half the jam roll slices on the base of a 2 litre (8-cup) capacity serving dish, pressing the cut surface of the rolls against the glass. Top with one-third of the custard. Layer three-quarters of the strawberries in the custard, pressing halves against the glass, and scatter with three-quarters of the blueberries. Repeat with another one-third of the custard and remaining jam rolls. Add remaining custard to top of jam rolls.

Top the trifle with dollops of cream. Scatter with raspberries and remaining strawberries and blueberries, pistachios, and extra orange zest. Cover and refrigerate until required.

Cold tip: To allow custard to chill, cook night before needed and refrigerate overnight.

Garnish with … Meringue kisses

Makes 30

• 200g caster (superfine) sugar
• 100g egg whites

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Sprinkle the sugar over one of the trays and bake for 4–5 minutes or until the edges just begin to melt.

Reduce the oven temperature to 100°C.

Meanwhile, begin whisking the egg whites on medium speed in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When soft peaks form, take the hot sugar directly from the oven and slowly pour it onto the egg whites. Continue whisking on medium–high speed until a thick, glossy meringue forms.

Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm round or star nozzle. Pipe teardrop peaks of the meringue onto the baking trays.

Bake the meringue kisses for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and allow the meringue kisses to cool in the oven. Store in an airtight container.

Optional steps: Mix it up! Garnish your meringue kisses with a little gold leaf or dust them with freeze-dried raspberry or strawberry powder.

Try experimenting with different flavour extracts – my favourite are peppermint and watermelon. Don’t use flavouring oils as they will deflate the meringue. Add the flavouring after you’ve whisked in the hot sugar.

Add some stripes of colouring to give your meringue kisses a bit of personality. Before you put the meringue mixture in your piping bag, dip a toothpick into a gel-based food colouring and run the tip of the toothpick down the inside edge of the bag. This will create a stripe of colour that will transfer onto your meringue kisses as you pipe them.