A hybrid of trifle and tiramisu, this is one for lovers of creamy puddings. Give the sponge fingers a good hour to soak up the coffee scented liquor. Longer if you have it.
Put 100g of sponge fingers in a deep serving dish. Make 150ml of espresso and stir 150ml of Irish cream liqueur into it. Pour the coffee-scented liquid over the sponge fingers and leave them to soak. Press them down occasionally so they become thoroughly saturated.
Whip 200ml of double cream and half a tsp of vanilla extract until it will sit in soft folds. (If your cream will stand in peaks you have overwhipped it.) Using a wooden spoon, cream 200ml of mascarpone for a minute or less until it is soft and creamy, then carefully fold the cheese into the vanilla cream.
Smooth the cream over the coffee-soaked sponge fingers, cover with a piece of kitchen film or an unturned plate and refrigerate for an hour.
Toast 100g of skinned hazelnuts in a shallow pan over a moderate heat. Toast them until they are fairly evenly coloured, moving them around the pan as they toast. Tip them out of the pan into a dish.
Melt 35g of dark chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water (or use a microwave if you have one). Scatter most of the hazelnuts over the cream, then trickle the melted chocolate over it and finish with the remaining hazelnuts. Serves 4. Ready in just over an hour
In an emergency, 20 minutes will be enough time for the cream and sponge fingers to come together if you don’t have a full hour to spare.
Take great care when whipping the cream and folding in the mascarpone. If you over-mix the two you will have a grainy texture. Better to whip too little than too much.
The best way to trickle the melted chocolate over the cream is to let it fall from a spoon as you wave the spoon back and forth.
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