My aunt has lost her recipe for Black Forest Trifle, but recalls that it consisted of layers of chocolate Swiss roll, black cherries (with their juice) and a condensed milk / lemon juice / cottage cheese mix. It was topped with fresh cream and chocolate shavings. I would like to try to make such a trifle. Do you have a similar recipe?- Tracy Bailey

This is an old favourite and a really wicked dessert. Your mail reminded me of how decadent this dish is and so I just had to make it up for a picture. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the origin of the dessert but Black Forest is the English name for the southern German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, which translates as "Black Forest cherry cake".

My suspicions are that an American cook took the original idea and turned the cake into a trifle - much easier eaten by the spoonful!

I do know this, at one stage, was very popular in South Africa as a replacement for the traditional Christmas pudding. Some recipes, particularly the English ones, omit the condensed milk and cream cheese, which I think is a real South Africanism, and replace them with a layer of chocolate or vanilla custard. When making it again after all these years, I did find that the condensed-milk-and-cream-cheese layer, thickened with lemon juice, was better with the addition of a little gelatine. But, either way, the dessert is as good as ever.

BLACK FOREST TRIFLE

(Serves 12)

Ingredients:

1 chocolate Swiss roll or chocolate sponge

60-90ml (4-6 tbsp) Kirsch or cherry liqueur

1 x 400g can pitted black cherries

15ml (1 tbsp) custard powder

10ml (2 tsp) gelatine powder (optional)

60ml (4 tbsp) water

2 x 485g cans of condensed milk

2 x 250g cream cheese

250ml (1 cup) fresh (not bottled) lemon juice

250ml cream, lightly whipped

Grated chocolate and cherries for decoration

Method:

Cut the Swiss roll or sponge cake into slices and layer in the base of a glass serving dish. Douse with the Kirsch. Drain the cherries, retaining the syrup, and scatter the cherries over the cake.

Combine the custard powder with a little water to make a paste and add to the cherry syrup. Cook over a medium heat till thickened. Spoon over the cherries and cake.

Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and set aside to thicken. Combine the condensed milk and cream cheese. Add the lemon juice and stir until thickened. Melt the gelatine in the microwave on medium for one minute and stir into the cream-cheese mixture. Spoon over the cake and cherries. Chill till firm. Cover with cream and decorate with chocolate and cherries just before serving.

Greaseproof is the word

Greaseproof paper is no longer available here in supermarkets in the Southern Cape and I am not sure what I can use as a substitute. Wax-wrap and tin foil seem to be the only alternatives but I don't think they are suitable, for instance, to line a tray for meringues. Have you any suggestions? - Heather Fraser, Knysna

I am surprised to hear you can't find greaseproof paper in Knysna. Some suppliers know it as baking paper, so perhaps asking for it by another name would bring you success.

I would ask the owners of the superb île de païn bakery on Thesen Island where they get their greaseproof paper, as I'm sure they use tons of it.

Some suggested alternatives include using cooking bags, cut open, for lining baking trays. The beauty of this is that they can be wiped down and re-used and are particularly effective with sticky items, such as meringue.

Another idea is to invest in a non-stick, teflon mat. These are brilliant for lining baking trays and there are imported ones especially for cake pans. Nothing sticks to them, they save on washing up and can be re-used again and again. Find them at kitchen specialist stores or online at www.yuppiechef.com from R195.

Send your food queries to food@sundaytimes.co.za