Italian Lemon Trifle

So it has been FREEZING here in Dublin since time began.  Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it feels like that at this stage following the freezing temperatures of winter that seem to be dragging on into spring.  Over the last week, while the temperatures have remained more than chilly, the sky has turned the most beautiful shade of blue and a strange light has flooded the earth.  That light my dear friends is the sun.  I know, I had almost forgotten what it looked like too.  But it's back, and it is more than welcome.  I hope it is settling in for a bright and warm year ahead and doesn't plan on hiding behind the clouds too much. 

With sunny skies warming my skin I had a longing for some fresh tastes.  The cold and grey winter days called for heavy, warming, comforting foods but this change in the weather has brought a longing for lighter flavours to refresh both palate and mind.  Mr. Boo and myself had some guests for dinner on Saturday night and so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test out a recipe idea I had thought of last year.  It was very well received around the table so I think it will be a regular fixture for summer desserts in this house.

The recipe is a mixture of a couple I have already posted on the blog here with some additions and tweaks.  I decided to use Lemon Drizzle Cake as a base for an alternative trifle.  I doused it with Limoncello, then layered this with mascarpone mixed with some icing sugar to sweeten it a little and some tangy Lemon Posset.  I'm not sure the Italians eat trifle or have a fondness for a lemon one but I decided the use of Limoncello and mascarpone warranted the Italian description in the title.  Enjoy!

Italian Lemon Trifle

1 x 1lb loaf of Lemon Drizzle Cake
6floz Limoncello
500g Mascarpone
75g Icing Sugar
1 quantity of Lemon Posset

I made the lemon drizzle cake in a 1lb loaf tin so that it could easily be cut into even slices for layering.  Alternatively you could use a shop bought Madeira cake.  I made 6 individual trifles in tumbler glasses but you could make it in one large bowl if you prefer.

1,  Make the lemon drizzle cake and lemon posset as per the instructions here.
2.  Slice the lemon drizzle cake into 1cm slices.  Lay in one layer on a plate or baking sheet and pour over the Limoncello.  Leave for a few minutes to allow to soak in.
3.  Place the mascarpone in a bowl and add in the icing sugar.  Stir through until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

4.  Place a layer of cake in the bottom of the bowl/glass.  Top with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and then a layer of lemon posset.  Continue to layer until you have used all of the ingredients.  (If you are using individual glasses you might have to break the cake slices to make them fit.  This is fine, just press them down into an even layer.)

Bord Bia Irish Food Bloggers Event Part Trois

I am entering this tart into English Mum's Big Bake Off due to some bullying, yes blatant bulling from The Glutton and of bit of Gluttony egging on from English Mum herself.  Wish me luck peeps.

I may have mentioned once or thrice that I recently attended a Food Bloggers Event in Bord Bia.  Well, for those of you who missed that I did.  As part of the days events the lovely people at Bord Bia fed and watered us very nicely indeedy.  Much to everyone's delight, having stuffed us full of delicious Irish Pork and various accompaniments, dessert followed in the form of a beautiful strawberry tart.  The room filled with 'oohs' and 'aahs' of appreciation as it was delivered to tables and I heard more than one person express an interest in receiving the recipe after lunch.  Now, as if the people of Bord Bia had not been good enough to us already they happily said they would make the recipe available to anyone interested, and they did.  Having put them to the trouble of emailing me with said recipe it would have been positively rude of me not to post about it, so here you go peeps, get ready to drool.  This is a deliciously light tart, perfect for summer entertaining.  I made it last night and it is no more this morning.  Mr. Boo and myself had a very generous slice each and my neighbours were the lucky and very grateful recipients of the rest. So go on, off to the kitchen with you and whip up this little lovely.  Go on, shoo!

White Chocolate and Strawberry Tart

Serves 12

250g Plain Flour
25g Icing Sugar
65g Cold Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
250g Mascarpone
200g bar of good quality white chocolate
145ml cream
400g Strawberries

1) Sieve the flour and icing sugar into a food processor. Add the butter and whiz until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add just enough egg to bring the mixture together.
2) Shape pastry into a disc and wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3) Roll out the pastry and shape into a 20.5cm (8”) fluted pastry tin. Prick all over. Cover with a large circle of baking parchment and top with baking beans. Chill until firm. Preheat the oven to 190°C(170°C fan)/374°F/Mark 5.

4) Bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry has set. Remove the beans and parchment and continue baking for 5-10 minutes until the pastry is dry and slightly sandy to the touch. Cool in the tin on a wire rack.
5) Melt the mascarpone and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base the of bowl doesn’t touch the water. Don’t stir; otherwise the mixture will thicken into a sticky mess.
6) Remove bowl from the pan and set aside to cool completely. Meanwhile, lightly whip the cream. Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream. Spoon the filling into the pastry case and chill.
7) To serve, top with strawberries cut in half and dust with icing sugar.

I have added some notes after the pics.

Notes: 

I forgot to dust it with icing sugar at the end as I was a tad over excited at the prospect of getting stuck into it!

I added the egg a couple of tablesppons at a time (I broke it into a small bowl and gave it a little whisk) until I had enough, rather than add it all at once and find I had too much.

I used my grease proof paper trick to line the pastry case but cut it a little big so that I could gather up the edges to remove the baking beans easily.

If you have neither the time nor the energy to bake your own pastry buy a ready made tart case from a supermarket and just make the filling. (I'm all for the easy life so don't worry I won't judge you, promise)

I know it says DO NOT STIR up there, but I just couldn't resist.  When I removed the chocolate mixture from the heat I did give it a quick stir to mix the chocolate and mascarpone as I was afraid they would not mix when added to the cream once chilled.  Sorry, but that was like asking Dougal NOT to press the big red button, it just wasn't going to happen.

OK lesson over, now off with yiz!