Tropical Trifle

Two days before Christmas I was wondering if I was being punished for feeling such a wicked glee at the thought of the upcoming festive food gorging. Two wisdom teeth decided to make their painful way into the world on either side of my mouth and I found it incredibly hard to chew anything. I envisioned the roast meats being neglected, the chocolates sitting alone, unable to be devoured, and all the lovely festive foods going off before I could bare to have them in my mouth. Or the alternative--pureed honey glazed ham being sucked through a straw on my favourite feast day of the year, 60 years premature.
So would I be surviving the 12 days of Christmas off jelly and soup blends concocted of all the deliciousness that had been prepared for Christmas?
Determined not to miss out, I found this wonderful recipe for Tropical Trifle in a Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. I don't usually find much joy in soggy cake and cream, but this trifle was different, it was the most amazing one I have ever tasted by far.
Imagine the taste of mango combined with the zest of lemon, the smoothness of mascapone, the freshness of mint, rolls of jam sponge laced with coconut liqueur and pineapple juice atop mango jelly and passion fruit. It was simply divine.

TROPICAL TRIFLE (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine Jan 2012)

2X 85g packets mango jelly crystals
400ml boiling water
400ml chilled water
1 mango, cheeks removed, flesh sliced thinly
250g mascapone
300ml thickened cream
1/4 caster sugar
finely grated zest of one lemon
300g jam rolettes
1/4 pineapple juice
1/3 cup coconut flavoured white rum
pulp of 6 passionfruits
extra mango thinly sliced
mint leaves to decorate

Put jelly crystals and boiling water in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the chilled water and set aside to cool.
Arrange the sliced mango in the bottom of a 21 x 10.5cm glass serving bowl. Pour jelly over the top and refrigerate until the jelly has set.
Whisk the mascapone, cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the lemon zest and set aside.
Combine the rum and pineapple juice in a shallow bowl.
Slice the rolettes and dip them one by one quickly into the rum mixture, then arrange on top of the jelly.Spoon over half the mascapone mixture on top of the rolettes. Drizzle half the passion fruit pulp over the top and swirl slightly. Cover with the rest of the mascapone mixture, and decorate the top of the trifle with the extra mango, mint leaves and remaining pulp.