Ingredients:

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1 store bought pound cake, cubed into 1” pieces

Italian custard cream, vanilla and chocolate

Whipped cream, 10 oz

Assorted fresh berries, washed and completely dried

Triple sec or milk for drizzling 

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For the cream:

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1 quart half and half (whole milk can be substituted)

4 eggs

¾ c sugar

1 ¼ c flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz mini dark chocolate chips

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Directions:

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Pour the half and half into a small pan and place on low heat until warm.

Meanwhile, place the eggs sugar and vanilla in a separate pan. Wisk until well blended.

Add sifted flour and continue to whisk until creamy and smooth.

Add 1/3 of the warm milk to the egg mixture while stirring constantly until fully mixed.

Repeat this step 2 more times so that all the milk is incorporated.

Place pan back on burner on low heat, stirring the entire time to avoid sticking and formation of lumps.

Bring to a gentle boil (about 5-7 minutes) and cook two more minutes, until the cream thickens to a pudding consistency.

Remove pan from stove and pour half of the cream into a glass bowl. Immediately cover with plastic wrap (sticking to the top of the cream) to avoid the formation of a “dry skin”.

 Pour the other half of the cream in a second bowl. Add the chocolate chips while still hot and whisk until melted and absorbed. If you like your chocolate cream darker, you may add a few more chips.

Cover with film as described for vanilla cream and refrigerate both until needed.

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To assemble:

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Whip cream. 

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the vanilla cream and mix until smooth and fluffy.

Repeat above step with chocolate cream.

In the bottom of a trifle bowl, layer one half of the cubed pound cake.

If this dessert is for adults only, you may drizzle a small amount of Triple Sec over the cake. Milk can be replaced for non-alcoholic version.

Add the vanilla cream and spread evenly over pound cake.

Layer the rest of the pound cake over the vanilla cream.

Add the chocolate cream and spread evenly.

Use the remaining whipped cream to cover the chocolate cream.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours. 

Before serving, decorate top with fresh berries of your choice.

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TIPS

You may use any cake you prefer for this recipe, including leftover Panettone, Pandoro or Colomba.

My amazing granddaughter, Lexi, makes hers with Velvet Cake for a more colorful presentation.

If you don’t have time to make the Italian pastry cream, you may substitute it with instant pudding (French Vanilla and Chocolate flavors), making sure to use ¼ less milk than box directions. This is to prevent that the pudding is too liquid once you add the whipped cream.

You can use Cool Whip for the whipped cream.

You can add chocolate shavings over the top with the berries if you wish.