Peter Gilmore’s quince, pecan and crème caramel trifle with Gretchen’s honey cream

1.For crème caramel, preheat oven to 160C and lightly oil eight 220ml metal pudding moulds. Stir 200gm sugar with 100ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until dark golden (6-8 minutes). Pour enough caramel into each mould to just cover the base and stand until set (10-15 minutes). Whisk yolks, eggs, and remaining sugar in a bowl until just pale (1-2 minutes). Meanwhile, bring milk close to boiling in a saucepan over medium-high heat, then, while whisking, pour milk onto eggs and sugar and whisk to combine. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a jug. Place moulds in a deep roasting pan lined with a tea towel (to prevent moulds sliding), divide custard evenly among moulds, then fill pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of moulds. Cover with foil and bake until caramels are set and barely wobble in the centre when gently shaken (40 minutes to 1 hour). Remove from oven and leave in the water bath to cool for 10 minutes. Refrigerate overnight to chill. Dip moulds in hot water, then turn out and cut each into quarters.

2.For poached quince and jelly, whisk sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and 500ml water in a flameproof casserole and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, peel quince, cut in half, add to casserole, cover and poach in oven until tender and pink (2-3 hours). Remove quince from syrup, cover and refrigerate until required. Bring 200ml syrup (discard remainder) and 200ml water to the boil in a saucepan, squeeze excess water from gelatine and, off the heat, stir into syrup until dissolved. Strain syrup into a 500ml container and refrigerate until set (2-3 hours).

3.Meanwhile, for sponge cake, preheat oven to 160C and line a 10cm-deep, 23cm-square cake tin with baking paper. Whisk sugar and eggs in an electric mixer until thick and pale with a fine, firm foam (8-9 minutes). Sift in flour and fold to combine, then pour into prepared tin, spreading evenly. Bake until a skewer inserted withdraws with dry crumbs (20-25 minutes). Turn sponge out onto a rack to cool (20-30 minutes). Cake is best made on the day, but can be made a day ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap to keep fresh.

4.Increase oven to 170C. Bake white chocolate pieces on an oven tray lined with baking or a silicone oven tray until chocolate is light caramel in colour (6-8 minutes). Cool completely, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate until required.

5.Roast pecans on an oven tray until crisp (7-8 minutes). Set aside to cool, then break with your hands, leaving some whole to decorate the top.

6.For honey cream, whisk cream and honey in a bowl until soft peaks form.

7.Core and thickly slice the quince, and cut or tear the sponge into 5cm pieces. To assemble the trifle, layer a 5-litre trifle bowl with half of the following: pieces of sponge, currants and soaking liquid, quince jelly, crème caramel, sliced quince, crumbled pecans and honey cream. Repeat with remaining ingredients, then cover trifle and refrigerate to chill and set (2-3 hours).

8.To serve, coarsely grate caramelised white chocolate over the top and garnish with pecans.