Colima Layered Custard Trifle (Ante Colimote)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9 by 13 inch baking pan
• •Heavy saucepan for custard
• •Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
• •Pastry brush for syrup
• •Deep glass dish or wide Colima barro rojo serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Bake the marquesote

   Heat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Beat the egg whites with half the sugar until they hold soft peaks, not dry clumps. In another bowl, beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and pale, then beat in the Mexican vanilla. Fold the whites into the yolks in three additions, then fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Work gently. Marquesote is not a butter cake. Its lift comes from the eggs, and if you knock the air out, you get a brick.

2. 2

   Cool and slice

   Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the top is golden and springs back when pressed lightly. Let it cool completely in the pan. Cut the cake into rectangles or thick strips that will fit your serving dish. A dry, slightly firm marquesote is correct here because it has to drink the syrup without collapsing.

3. 3

   Make wine syrup

   Combine the wine, water, sugar, Mexican cinnamon, cloves, and lime peel in a small saucepan. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup smells of cinnamon and citrus. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Strain out the spices. Do not boil it hard. You want a syrup that perfumes the cake, not a candy that turns sticky in the dish.

   Use a wine you would drink at the table. Bad wine makes bad syrup. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado if they carry a mild sweet table wine for desserts.
4. 4

   Infuse the milk

   In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, shredded coconut, and ground almonds. Warm over medium-low heat until the edges tremble and the milk smells like coconut and almond. Hold it there for 10 minutes, stirring often so the nuts do not catch on the bottom. Colima's coconut is not decoration here. It is the geography of the dish.

5. 5

   Thicken the custard

   Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk in two ladles of the hot milk mixture to temper the yolks, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon and hold a clean line when you run your finger through it. This takes 6 to 8 minutes. Do not walk away. Custard punishes laziness.

6. 6

   Finish the custard

   Take the pan off the heat and stir in the Mexican vanilla and butter. The custard should be thick, glossy, and spoonable, with a little texture from the coconut and almonds. If you want a smoother table dessert, press it through a coarse sieve. I leave some texture because that is how home kitchens mark the hand of the cook.

7. 7

   Layer the ante

   Choose a deep glass dish or a wide Colima barro rojo serving bowl. Spoon a thin layer of custard on the bottom. Add a layer of marquesote and brush it generously with the wine syrup. It should be moist but not swimming. Add custard, then figs. Repeat the layers until everything is used, finishing with custard on top. This is a composed dessert, not a pile. The women who perfected these antes knew how to build structure with soft things.

8. 8

   Chill and crown

   Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The cake absorbs the syrup, the custard settles, and the figs soften into the layers. Before serving, crown the top with crystallized figs, toasted sliced almonds, and toasted coconut. Serve cold in generous spoonfuls. No me vengas con atajos. The rest in the refrigerator is part of the recipe.

Chef Tips

• •Do not replace the marquesote with packaged pound cake unless you accept the compromise. Pound cake is heavier and buttery. Marquesote is eggy and dry enough to drink syrup properly.
• •Crystallized figs can be bought from Mexican candy vendors or made ahead when figs are in season. If the figs at the market are tired, buy good higos cristalizados instead of forcing fresh fruit into the dish.
• •There are no chiles in this dessert. Not all Mexican food carries chile, and not every dish needs to prove itself with heat. Colima proves itself here with coconut, almond, wine, and preserved fruit.
• •Use Mexican vanilla, not imitation vanilla. In a pale custard, bad vanilla has nowhere to hide.
• •If the custard curdles slightly, pass it through a sieve while warm. If it scorches, start again. Burned milk will announce itself in every layer.

Advance Preparation

• •The marquesote can be baked one day ahead and kept wrapped at room temperature. A slightly dry cake is better for soaking.
• •The wine syrup can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated.
• •The assembled ante needs at least 4 hours in the refrigerator and is better overnight. Serve within 2 days for the cleanest texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)