Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries

Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh BerriesA Trifle Sweet…

Over the weekend we had our latest Cookbook Club dinner, and it was tasty as usual. The chef of note was Tyler Florence, and while we found a number of good recipes, the consensus was that Tyler needs a better cookbook editor. Nearly all of our recipes left a lot of room for interpretation—a novice cook might have trouble following his instructions to get the desired result.

That said, we made some really great tasting dishes. I made one of the favorites, Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries. It is not only a great hot weather dessert, it looks beautiful in the glass bowl with it’s red, white and blue colors. This trifle screams to be a contribution to a 4th of July Potluck.

This recipe for Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries feeds a crowd, and utilizes the sweet and juicy summer berries that are at their peak right now. I opted for plain pound cake instead of lemon at the request of my daughter who likes lemon but not that much lemon.

One option is to do individual shortcakes if you don’t want to make a big dish. I think I will try that next time.

We had A lot left over…but breakfast the next morning was pretty good 🙂 

Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients
6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved lengthwise
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh blackberries
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1 prepared pound cake, sliced
1/4 cup Limoncello or Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions
For the lemon curd
Bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over the simmering water—without letting the bottom touch—and continue whisking. Keep whisking vigorously for a good 10 minutes, or until the curd has doubled in volume and is very thick and yellow. Don’t let it boil.

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, until it is melted and thoroughly incorporated.

Refrigerate until the custard is cold and firm.

For the trifle
Place the berries in a mixing bowl and toss them together so they are evenly distributed. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled lemon curd until it is the consistency of a mousse.

Line a glass trifle bowl with pieces of pound cake to fit. Drizzle or brush the cake with the Limoncello, spoon a layer of the lemon curd over the cake, and then a layer of mixed berries. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are used up. The trifle looks best if the berries are on top.

Chill before serving, and garnish with fresh mint.

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