Mocha and Raspberry Trifle

This recipe is too good to ignore. I just had to post it for my future reference!

INGREDIENTS

For syrup
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Cognac or other brandy

For mocha pastry cream
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream

For assembly
2 purchased 8-inch-diameter, 1- to 1 1/4-inch-thick round sponge cakes, each cut horizontally in half
3/4 cup raspberry preserves (about 10 ounces)
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (unthawed)
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons red currant jelly, melted with 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Red currant bunches or red grape clusters (optional)

PREPARATION

Make syrup:
Combine 3 tablespoons water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix in Cognac. Cool.

Make mocha pastry cream:
Combine milk and espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Discard bean. Using electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar in large bowl until very thick, about 3 minutes. Sift in cornstarch; beat to blend well. Gradually beat hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to boil, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Transfer to medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover syrup and store at room temperature. Keep pastry cream refrigerated.)

Whisk cold pastry cream until smooth. Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream in large bowl until medium-stiff peaks form. Transfer 1 1/2 cups whipped cream to another medium bowl; set aside to use as topping. Stir 1/3 of remaining whipped cream from large bowl into pastry cream to lighten. Fold remaining whipped cream from large bowl into pastry cream in 2 additions.

Assemble:
Place 1 cake layer in bottom of 8-inch-diameter, 3-quart trifle bowl. Brush 1/4 of syrup over cake. Spread 3 tablespoons raspberry preserves over cake. Spread 1 cup pastry cream over. Arrange 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries atop pastry cream. Repeat layering 3 times with remaining cake layers, syrup, preserves, pastry cream and 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries.

Spread reserved 1 1/2 cups whipped cream over trifle. Top whipped cream with 2 cups fresh raspberries. Lightly brush red currant jelly mixture over raspberries. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Garnish with red currant bunches or grape clusters, if desired. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)