By Caroline Young
Many of our national festivals feature special dishes – pancakes, mince pies and Christmas cakes are just a sample. Other examples are simnel cake for Mothering Sunday, hot cross buns for Good Friday – the list is almost endless. One of the most-used recipes today is coronation chicken – poulet reine Elizabeth. Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume (both from the Cordon Bleu Cookery School) are credited with inventing this dish for the Queen’s Coronation banquet in 1953. It may have been inspired by jubilee chicken, made for the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935.

It remains a very popular recipe for large-scale parties and anniversaries. Now a London store is hosting a competition for a very special dish to celebrate our next big national event. I wonder what it will be? Our family have always expected a special dessert on special days and for the Platinum Jubilee, I am planning a cake that would celebrate our Commonwealth connections and our local fruits. I am going to make a two/three layer cake. The central layers will be filled with a cream and fruity filling containing chopped fruits from the Commonwealth countries – peaches, kiwis, mango, pineapple, etc. The top will be piled with whipped cream, topped with an arrangement of whole strawberries arranged to look like our Queen’s crown!

Please let me know what you make – why not send a photo to the editor? Chatting to a Norwegian neighbour, Hedvig Bodley, about festive foods, she gave me her mother’s recipe for their special trifle, which I will also make. Traditional trifle bowls should have straight sides to show the different layers and trifles MUST be refrigerated overnight before serving.

Norwegian trifle

Start with a layer of apple puree and roughly diced cooked apricots. Top with a layer of toasted walnut pieces, toasted coarse oats and pitted dates. Add a generous layer of creamy custard, with a generous dash of your favourite sweet alcohol whisked into it. Top with a layer of honey-flavoured yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped dark chocolate. Cover and chill overnight. It sounds delicious – I will definitely make this myself.

English trifle – my version

Tip a generous layer of roughly crushed Amoretti almond biscuits into your trifle bowl and add a layer of canned apricot halves. Generously sprinkle with your favourite alcohol. Top with creamy custard (I use a top-quality supermarket brand) then a very generous layer of whipped double cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I then decorate the top with fresh fruits such as raspberries, flaked toasted almonds and sprigs of fresh mint.