The Queen's Platinum Pudding maker said she was "honoured" to have been able to be actively involved with Her Majesty's celebrations just months before her death.
Jemma Melvin, a copywriter and baker from Southport, entered the Platinum Pudding competition after she was sent the link by a friend, with her beating 5,000 other bakers to the top spot with a dessert made from lemon swiss roll and amaretti. The dessert, which wowed Dame Mary Berry, was made by thousands up and down the country as people celebrated 70 years of the monarch.
Following the death of the Queen at the age of 96, the 31-year-old has told the ECHO how it was an honour to be so involved in the celebrations in May. She said: "It was an absolute honour to be the winner of that competition. It was such a huge competition.
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"Every opportunity was because of the Queen so when the Queen passed away I was really sad, especially after taking part in the jubilee celebrations but I think it was just an honour to be part of her last big celebration. I think her legacy will live on and hopefully, the pudding can be a part of that."
Now, Jemma is set to bake a new sweet treat for another cause, this time it will be Macmillan who helped her and her family when her granted Jimmy was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016. She said that the carers helped her family, and specifically her nan Jenny, while he was cared for at home before he died in September of that year, aged 83.
She said: "I'm really excited to get involved with the Macmillan campaign and the coffee morning campaign is so well known. I've taken part in them, I've baled for them, I've been to them so to be asked was a real honour.
"I have a connection with Macmillan as well because the nurses looked after my granted when he was poorly so that tiny bit of giving back I really wanted to do."
For Macmillan Coffee Morning 2022, which takes place on Friday, 30 September, Jemma, who was taught by her grandmother and grandad, has created a special Macmillan Kiwi and Lime Trifle in honour of the charity’s iconic green branding.
Nicole McIlveen, Senior Fundraising Manager at Macmillan, said: “We’re so grateful to Jemma for using her amazing baking skills to produce a special Macmillan-themed trifle for Coffee Morning this year.
"Jemma’s story is one shared by many families up and down the country. The help her grandad and family received from Macmillan nurses is exactly why we need to continue to raise money so that help is available for anyone who needs it.
"Coffee Morning is our biggest event and we hope that people hosting, however and wherever they’re doing it, can recreate Jemma’s trifle to help raise as much money as possible."
Easy to make at home and adaptable for vegans and vegetarians, the recipe for the Macmillan Kiwi and Lime Trifle is below:
Macmillan Kiwi and Lime Trifle Recipe
Ingredients:
(Makes one large trifle or several small trifles, depending on what dish/dishes you choose to use)
For the bottom layer:
- Approx 200g of lady fingers/trifle sponges
- 2 x 135g packs of lime jelly
- Approx 6 ripe and ready kiwis
For the custard layer (which can also be replaced by shop bought…)
- 420ml double cream
- The zest and juice of one lime
- 25g caster sugar
- 1tbsp cornflour
- 4 egg yolks
- Optional green food colouring
For the topping:
- 600ml whipped cream
- Zest of one lime
- 200g white chocolate
- Optional green food colouring
Method:
- Line the bottom of your trifle dish (or any chosen dish) with trifle sponges.
- Make up the jelly, in a separate bowl or jug, following the packet’s instructions.
- Pour the jelly mixture over the sponges.
- Pop in the fridge to set whilst you make the custard (or skip step 5-11 if you’re using shop-bought custard).
- Place the cream in a pan over a gentle heat until simmering, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour mixture and the lime juice and zest.
- Then, whisking the egg mixture all the time with one hand, gradually pour the hot cream into the bowl.
- Immediately return the whole lot back to the saucepan using a rubber spatula.
- Put back on the same gentle heat as you continue whisking until the custard is thick and smooth.
- Pour the custard into a jug or bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm and leave to cool.
- While waiting for the custard to cool, slice five of the kiwis and pop the slices over the set jelly neatly, in two layers.
- Once the custard is cool, pour or spoon over the set jelly and kiwi slices and pop into the fridge.
- Next, whip the cream until you see soft peaks.
- Spoon on top of the custard.
- For the optional chocolate shards, melt 200g of white chocolate, mix in a drop of green food colouring and pour onto greaseproof paper on a tray.
- Grate over lime rind for extra zing and place in the fridge to set.
- To decorate your trifle, break the chocolate into shards and place into the cream, along with the final sliced kiwi.
Jemma’s expert tips:
- You can make this dessert in any dish you’d like, a trifle dish, a glass bowl or wine glasses are just a few examples.
- Do not place your kiwi slices in the dish before pouring over the jelly mixture. Kiwi can cause jelly not to set.
- Use green food colouring to make your elements really pop if you’re going for full on Macmillan green.
- The green chocolate shards are a completely optional touch, grated white chocolate and kiwi slices will be lovely enough for decoration.
To make the trifle vegan/vegetarian:
1. Use jelly alternatives that are available or make fresh lime jelly using agar-agar.
2. Replace the cream, custard and lady fingers with available alternatives, or if making from scratch use egg substitutes.
3. Use vegan white chocolate.
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