The other day, after a week of baking cakes and tarts, I found myself surrounded by sweet, little leftovers.
Such as the dome of a cake…
… half a bowl of glorious Crème Suisse…
… and some fresh strawberries.
Plus, my mom had recently given me a little something, right after I asked her if she knew anything about this supposedly delicious liqueur I had never heard about, but which I needed if I wanted to make a Scottish dessert called Cream Crowdie:
It turns out that Drambuie – the stuff I’d never heard about – is a liqueur based on Scottish malt whisky that is flavored with heather honey, herbs and spices, and which is brewed according to an ancient recipe that dates back to the 18th century.
As the story (on the back of the bottle) goes, in 1745 some Young Pretender called Bonnie Prince Charlie – whom I had never heard about either – sought refuge on the Scottish Isle of Skye after a failed rebellion against the crown. Once he got sick of the rain and the cold and decided to move to France to live the life of a playboy, he thanked the captain who had housed him in Scotland by leaving behind his prized royal recipe for Drambuie.
And now ‘The Spirit Lives On’! (Or so it says on the bottle…)
Anyway, because I had so many delicious leftovers and I couldn’t wait to find out what Drambuie actually tasted like in a dessert, I decided to make cute, mini Drambuie trifles! Besides, I just love to mix and match things that are already incredibly indulgent and delicious in order to create things that are even more indulgent and delicious! Hence my collection of incredible ‘Building Blocks’…
So to make these, just start by tearing your leftover (or store bought, I don’t care) cake into little pieces and pressing a thin cake layer into two glasses. And yes, I know this is just one glass…
Next, using a pastry brush, brush the cake with an ample amount of Drambuie. Although, come to think of it, if you don’t have a pastry brush, just use a teaspoon to drizzle the booze on the cake.
Plop on some glorious, delicious Crème Suisse…
… and throw in some strawberries!
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I. Just. Love. Strawberries. Just making myself clear here…
Then simply repeat the process. Start with another layer of cake…
… brush or drizzle with some more Drambuie…
By the way, you could use other types of liqueurs if you can’t get your hands on Drambuie. For example, use Kirsch or Grand Marnier. Try sweet white wine if you want to keep it simple, or even make a simple sugar syrup if you’re not into the whole alcohol-in-dessert-thing.
All up to you.
Whatever you use, plop some more Crème Suisse on top of the cake.
… and top with some gorgeous, little strawberries.
And there you have it: trifle for one!
Is it just me, or does that little trifle look a bit lonely all on its own? Let’s make it trifle for two then!
Much better.
Enjoy guys!
This stuff is GOOD!
- Leftover cake scraps, such as the dome of a Hot Milk Cake*
- 2 tablespoons of Drambuie liqueur
- 240ml (or 1 cup) of Crème Suisse*
- 12 fresh strawberries
- Tear the cake into small pieces and fit a layer of cake on the bottom of two 200ml (or 6½ ounce) glasses. Using a pastry brush, brush the cake with an ample amount of Drambuie. Add about 60ml (or ¼ cup) of Crème Suisse to each glass. Wash, dry and hull the strawberries and cut each strawberry into 4 pieces. Place a layer of strawberries into each glass. I used 3 strawberries for each strawberry layer.
- Repeat the process: cover the strawberry layer with more cake scraps (you will probably have a lot of cake left), brush them with an ample amount of Drambuie, plop about 60ml (or ¼ cup) of Crème Suisse on top of the soaked cake and top with the remaining strawberries.
- Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving in order to let all the flavors meld together.
Tip: you can substitute the Drambuie for other liqueurs, such as raspberry eau de vie, Kirsch, Grand Marnier or Crème de Cassis, but sweet white wine, sherry or a simple sugar syrup would also be a great substitute.
David says
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It was a beautiful ending to a special dinner.
Nila says
Thanks David! I’m so glad you liked them 😉