Pistachio Rhubarb Trifle Food

EASY RHUBARB TRIFLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In an ovenproof dish, combine chopped rhubarb and 1 cup sugar, and bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until rhubarb is softened and submerged in syrup. Drain rhubarb in a sieve or colander set over a saucepan to collect the syrup. Set rhubarb aside, and let cool.
• Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Add Cointreau and Campari and simmer until syrup has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in brandy.
• Put mascarpone and crème fraîche in a bowl. Add orange zest and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk mixture briefly to incorporate.
• Assemble the trifle: Line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square glass or ceramic dish with ladyfingers. Break ladyfingers to fill completely. (If using poundcake or sponge cake, cut into 1/2-inch slices.) Spoon half the syrup evenly over the ladyfingers. Top with half of the cooked rhubarb, spreading it flat to the edges of pan. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over rhubarb.
• Make another layer with half the ladyfingers and spoon remaining syrup over them. Spread remaining rhubarb on top, and top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to a day. A half-hour before serving, remove from refrigerator. Garnish with rose petals, if desired.
• Cut trifle into squares and serve on plates, or use a large spoon to scoop portions into bowls.

PISTACHIO RHUBARB TRIFLE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter baking pan, then line bottom with parchment paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
• Pulse together 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, pistachios, and salt in a food processor until pistachios are very finely ground (mixture will resemble a slightly grainy flour). Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk in yolks, milk, and extracts.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Reduce speed to low, then add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, a little at a time. Increase speed to high and beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Fold one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour batter into baking pan, spreading evenly, and rap pan against counter to release any air bubbles. Bake cake until golden and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes. Remove pan (with cake) from rack and cover rack with a sheet of parchment, then invert rack over cake and flip cake onto rack. Carefully peel off parchment from bottom of cake and cool completely.
• Assemble trifle:
• Slide cake (on parchment) onto a work surface and arrange with a long side nearest you. Trim cake with a serrated knife to make a 12- by 9-inch rectangle, reserving trimmings, then brush cake and trimmings with Sherry syrup. Halve cake crosswise, then cut each half into thirds first lengthwise and then crosswise to total 18 (3- by 2-inch) pieces. Halve each piece diagonally to form triangles.
• Spoon 1/2 cup custard into bottom of trifle dish. Arrange half of triangles over custard in 2 layers, pressing short ends of triangles against side of dish (there should be small spaces in between slices for custard to run through). Arrange half of trimmings in the center, cutting them as needed to fit. Spread 1 1/2 cups custard over cake, then spread 1 cup rhubarb purée over custard.
• Cover with remaining cake and trimmings in same manner, then spread remaining custard over. Spread remaining rhubarb purée over custard, leaving a 1-inch border around edge. Chill, covered tightly with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours.
• Make topping just before serving:
• Beat cream with sugar and Sherry using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon cream over top of trifle, then sprinkle with pistachios.

VANILLA CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat milk in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling.
• While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
• Add 1 cup hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and registers 170°F on thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil).
• Immediately force custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in butter and vanilla. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold and thickened, at least 3 hours.