Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

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


Directions

To make 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 to whisk. Keep working-out that arm and whisk it
vigorously for a good 10 minutes, until the curd has doubled in volume
and is very thick and yellow. Don't let it boil. Remove the bowl from
heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of chunks at a time, until
melted. Refrigerate until the custard is cold and firm.


To build the trifle: put the berries in a mixing bowl and toss them
together so they are evenly distributed. Fold the whipped cream into
the chilled lemon curd to lighten it up into a mousse. Line a glass
trifle bowl with pieces of pound cake to fit. Drizzle or brush the
cake with the Lemoncello, 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 last layer looks best if it's the
berries. Chill before serving. Garnish with fresh mint.

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