Canberra Chefs Do Christmas: Plant-based Boozy Gingerbread Trifle

Posted on 1 December, 2021

It’s been another challenging year for Canberra’s beloved hospitality scene.

After a marathon 18 months of smoke, bushfire, hail and COVID-restrictions (cya later, Delta!), we’re wishing Canberra hospos a very merry Christmas, filled with food, wine and family.

But while Canberra’s chefs are sitting down to their favourite dish on Christmas Day—you can be too!

In partnership with local grocery delivery company Alpha Fresh (psst: Christmas pre-orders are now open!), we asked Canberra’s kitchen icons to dish on their favourite Christmas recipes, so you can have the best of Canberra’s food scene at your Christmas table.

First up is Tamieka Hessenberger, the Head Chef at plant-based meal delivery service Vood.

Launching soon, Vood works directly with award-winning local chefs to develop creative weekly menus that offer a variety of main meals, snacks and desserts. With online ordering and delivery to your door, Vood makes plant-based eating effortless.

Today, Tamieka is sharing her recipe for a plant-based Boozy Gingerbread Trifle and honestly, need we say more?

“My family and extended family is massive so Christmas is always full of hungry bellies to feed,” says Tamieka.

“Christmastime to me screams gingerbread and champagne with the family—and a classic like a trifle which is always a family hit. This one has a twist of passion fruit and citrus which always pairs well with champagne and anything ginger. Cherries are a must because is it really Christmas in Australia without them.”

Vood’s ethos is about eating plant-based for a more sustainable future—and to help alleviate any dietary concerns such as dairy intolerances. While not mandating a strict plant-based diet, Vood encourages Canberrans to swap out some meals for plant-based options—like this trifle! A sweet and delicious dish that leaves us feeling better.

Boozy Gingerbread Trifle

Serves 10-12

INGREDIENTS + METHOD

Champagne Jelly

• 500ml (2 cups) champagne/sparkling wine
• 120g  (1/2 cup) caster Sugar
• 10g Jel-it-In powder
• 200ml water (cold)

Pour cold water into jel-it-in powder and mix until lumps are dissolved allow to sit for 10 minutes before using.

Add sugar and champagne to a small pot and bring to a simmer, making sure sugar is dissolved. When this is achieved pour in the gel-it-in mix and stir all to simmer for 2-3 minutes on low heat before pouring into the bottle of trifle bowl.

Allow to set for two hours in the fridge before adding layers.

Gingerbread Cake

• 225g self-raising flour
• 100g brown sugar
• 100g molasses
• 1.5 tbsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1 cup soy milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 170 degrees (fan-forced). Line a cake tin with baking paper and set aside.

Mix self-raising flour, brown sugar, spices and salt into bowl and sift to eliminate lumps (push the lumps out of the brown sugar in the sifting process).

Mix vegetable oil, soy milk and apple cider vinegar together mix and add to the dry mix. Mix well then mix through molasses until it’s combined.

Add to your lined tin and bake for 45 minutres or until there’s a clean skewer.

Fruit Layer

• 2 punnets blackberries
• 1 blood orange
• 500g cherries (pit them)

Passion fruit pudding

• 600g silken tofu
• 6x large passion fruits
• 120g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 2tbsp lime juice
• 1/2tsp turmeric powder (not essential for added colour)
• 14g xanthan gum

Drain excess water off silken tofu and add to a high-speed blender along with caster sugar, lime juice and xanthan gum and blend until silky smooth and thick.

And in passionfruit pulp and gently blend until combined (you don’t want to blend the seeds) just enough to incorporate into the pudding mixture.

Refrigerate until you’re ready to layer.

Layering

Layer One

Champagne jelly: Set ahead of time.

Layer Two

Gingerbread Cake: Once the cake is cooked, cut out your circle, take your trifle bowl and flip over. Trace on a piece of baking paper and cut cake to size. Place into the trifle bowl on top of the jelly layer.

Layer Three

Fruit layer—pit cherries, peel and slice blood orange along with blackberries mix and place on top of the gingerbread cake.

Layer Four

Passion fruit pudding—pour over top of the fruit layer and refrigerate.

Roughly break up any leftover cake and place on top the pudding layer garnish with more fruit—we recommend more fresh passionfruit and berries.

Photography: Ashley St George / Pew Pew Studio