Coffee trifles with caramel walnuts

Method

1. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and put the pod and the seeds into a saucepan with 100ml of the cream, 150ml of the milk, 100g of the sugar and the ground coffee. Put over a low heat and bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes to infuse. Strain through a very fine sieve into a clean bowl, discarding the vanilla pod and ground coffee.
2. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the remaining milk in a small pan. Lift the gelatine out of the water. Squeeze out any excess water, and add to the hot milk. Stir until dissolved, then stir into the coffee cream mixture.
3. Put the mascarpone into a bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the coffee cream mixture, then strain into a jug. Brush the inside of 6 x 150ml pudding moulds or teacups with cold water. Pour in the coffee cream mixture and chill until softly set – about 30 minutes.
4. Mix the strong black coffee with the sherry and pour into a shallow dish. Cut the sponge fingers to fit the moulds or teacups, then dip both sides in the coffee mixture and lay side by side on top of the coffee custards. Cover with cling film and chill overnight.
5. The next day, line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put the remaining sugar into a pan with 3 tablespoons of water and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil until it turns a deep amber colour. Plunge the base of the pan into a larger pan of cold water to stop it cooking further. Stir in the walnuts to coat, then lift out with a fork and put on the paper-lined tray. Leave to set. Discard any remaining caramel.
6. Lightly whip the remaining cream. Dip the moulds briefly into warm water and turn out onto plates. Top with some cream and decorate each one with a caramelised walnut.