Gelato Messina Has Taken on the Humble Trifle for This Year's Christmas Lunch

Each year we anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and the arrival of Messina's annual Christmas cake. And while the gelato chain last year went for a festive response to Sydney's lockout laws in the form of Santa trying to fit down a chimney, it's decided to take on a quintessential Australian dessert for 2017: the trifle.

Enter The Christmas Coma. This epic ice cream creation will feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? The trifle will be layered with — here we go — vanilla custard gelato, whipped cream, peach jellies, raspberry marsala jelly, raspberry meringue, sherry-soaked jam rolls and bloody peach sorbet. Plus, it'll be garnished with white chocolate and cherry truffles and come with Messina brandy custard and chocolate-coated nuts to douse all over the mess.

The trifle, which serves 18–20 (or less if you really commit), costs $120 and can be ordered for pickup between December 22 and Christmas Eve. In Sydney you can pick one up from Rosebery, Darlinghurst, Bondi, Miranda, Penrith, Tramsheds and Parramatta. If you're in Melbourne, you can get one from the Fitzroy or Windsor outposts — and the South Brisbane store will be making them too. Hopefully nan won't take it personally.

The Christmas Coma is available to order at gelatomessina.com from 9am on Tuesday, December 5.