Yay it's Christmas time - that special time which only comes once a year to slightly overindulge on the food front! And have I got the creme de la creme ('scuse the pun) of all christmas desserts for you.

Check out this christmassy Raspberry and White Chocolate Trifle with Raspberry Macaroons - it's slightly different from your standard every day trifle but boy does it taste good! You can follow the recipe or get a bit creative and do multiple thinner layers of jelly and white chocolate, then top it all off with the macaroons and mascarpone cream. Which ever way you put it together it will always cause a stampede at your christmas table.

Merry Christmas everyone - enjoy!

CHRISTMAS RASPBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE TRIFLE

Adapted from a recipe by Donna Hay

Raspberry Jelly
6 tbspn gelatine powder
1.5 litres cranberry juice
2 cups caster sugar
500g frozen raspberries

White Chocolate Ganache
360g white chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups single/pouring cream
12 raspberry flavoured macaroons

Mascarpone cream
½ cup mascarpone
½ cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1½ cups single/pouring cream

To Serve
12 raspberry flavoured macaroons
1 punnet fresh raspberries
baby mint leaves
icing sugar, sifted

SERVES: 8

Raspberry Jelly

Place half the gelatine (3 tbspn) and 125 ml of the cranberry juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 mins. or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the 625 ml of cranberry juice and 1 cup caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 min. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine mixture and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 20 mins. Pour the jelly mixture into the base of a 4-litre-capacity glass bowl and top with the frozen raspberries. Refrigerate for 2 - 3 hours until set.

White Chocolate Ganache
Place the chocolate and half the cream in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl and cool in the fridge, but don’t allow to set. Beat the remaining cream till firm peaks form, then gently fold into the cool white chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture in 2 and pour half over the jelly layer in the glass bowl. Refrigerate the trifle for 1 hour until just set. Keep the remaining ganache at a cool room temperature so it doesn’t set.

Remove the trifle from the fridge, place the macaroons over the surface of the trifle, and top with the remaining ganache. Refrigerate for an hour or until set.

Second Raspberry Jelly Layer
Place the remaining half of the gelatine (3 tbspn) and 125 ml of the cranberry juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 mins. or until the gelatine is absorbed. Place the remaining 625 ml of cranberry juice and 1 cup caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 min. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine mixture and stir to combine. Set aside to cool to at least room temperature for 30 mins. Pour the jelly mixture over the ganache layer and top with the frozen raspberries. Refrigerate for 2 -3 hours until set.

To Serve
Place the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla and cream in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Spoon the Mascarpone cream over the trifle and top with the fresh raspberries, mint leaves and sifted icing sugar.