Raspberry Almond Trifle Food

ALMOND, BLUEBERRY, RASPBERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread all of the almonds (1½ cups) onto a cookie sheet and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until the nuts just begin to brown and become aromatic. Remove from oven and let cool. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment or waxed paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Prepare the cake batter: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 5 to 8 minutes or until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping between additions. Stir in the flour mix, almond extract and ½ cup of the toasted almonds until just blended. Do not over mix.
• Bake the cake: Fill each of the prepared pans with half of the batter. Place the pans in the center of the oven. Bake until the center is firm or when the tip of a small knife emerges clean when it pierces the center of each cake, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Make the lemon curd: While the cake is baking, whisk the sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest together in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the butter. Microwave for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring every minute until the mixture thickens. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes into the wrap with the tip of a knife to allow steam to escape. Refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Prepare the cakes, fruit and almonds: Slice the rounded tops of the cakes to flatten them. Carefully slice the cakes in half, horizontally, through the middle to create 4 layers. Stir the raspberry jam with 1 tablespoon of water to loosen the texture and toss gently with the raspberries. Whip the cream to medium peaks.
• Assemble the trifle: Place one cake round in the bottom of the trifle bowl, trimming the edges if necessary to fit. Spread about 1/3 of the lemon curd over the cake. Cover with about ½ cup of whipped cream and sprinkle with ¼ cup of the toasted almonds, ¼ of the raspberry mixture and 1 cup of blueberries. Repeat the same process for two more layers. For the last layer, spread the cake with the remaining whipped cream, berries and nuts.

RASPBERRY CREAM TRIFLE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the milk, water and extract until blended. Add pudding mix; whisk for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Cover and chill until mixture is partially set. Fold in the whipped cream., Place half of the cake cubes in a 2-qt. glass serving bowl. Top with half of the cream mixture. Carefully spread with jam. Sprinkle with 1 cup raspberries. Layer with remaining cake cubes, cream mixture and raspberries. Garnish with chocolate curls and mint.

RASPBERRY ALMOND TRIFLE

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, beat whipping cream and 1 tablespoons liqueur until stiff peaks form. Fold in Eagle Brand; set aside.
• Layer bottom of twelve 4 oz custard cups or remekins with lady fingers. Brush with some remaining liqueur. Spread half of jam over ladyfingers. Spread evenly with half of cream mixture; sprinkle with half of almonds. Repeat layers with remaing ladyfingers, liqueur, jam, cream mixture and almonds. Garnish with a couple fresh raspberries before serving.
• Store covered in refrigerator.

CHERRY-ALMOND TRIFLE

Steps:

• Make jam: Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until jam is thick, stirring often, about 22 minutes.
• Transfer to small bowl.
• Cover and chill up to 3 days.
• Make cake: Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment.
• Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until mixture resembles fine meal, about 1 minute.
• Add butter and vanilla and blend well, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.
• Blend in eggs 1 at a time.
• Using on/off turns, blend in flour, baking powder and salt (do not overmix).
• Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Place pan on baking sheet; bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan on rack.
• Cover; let stand at room temperature 1 day.
• Make custard: Whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend.
• Beat in yolks and vanilla.
• Gradually whisk in half and half.
• Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto surface; chill 1 day.
• Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.
• Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers; discard parchment.
• Spoon thin layer of custard over bottom of 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl.
• Trim 1 cake layer to fit, if necessary; place in bowl.
• Spread with 1/3 of custard.
• Mix chopped cherries into jam.
• Spoon 1/3 of jam mixture atop custard; spread to edge of bowl so that jam shows.
• Top with second cake layer, half of remaining custard and half of remaining jam mixture; spread to edge of bowl.
• Top with third cake layer.
• Spread with remaining jam mixture, if desired.
• Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip.
• Pipe cream in center of trifle.
• Pipe rosettes around edge; top rosettes with whole cherries.
• Sprinkle trifle with almonds.
• Cover; chill at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

RASPBERRY, WHITE CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND TRIFLE

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup whipping cream to simmer in medium saucepan.
• Remove from heat and add white chocolate. Whisk until smooth.
• Cool to barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
• Beat 2 1/2 cups cream and 1/2 teaspoon extract in large bowl to soft peaks.
• Fold in white chocolate mixture.
• Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts. Mix in 3/4 teaspoon extract and from heat.
• Quickly submerge 1 cookie in syrup; shake excess back into pan. Place dipped cookie in bottom of 14-cup trifle dish. Repeat with enough cookies to cover bottom of dish.
• Spread 1/3 of melted jam over biscuits in dish. Top with 1/3 of partially thawed berries with juices. Spread 1/3 of whipped chocolate cream over.
• Repeat layering with dipped biscuits, melted jam, partially thawed berries, and whipped chocolate cream 2 more times.
• Mound fresh berries in center of trifle. Sprinkle almonds around edge.
• Cover and chill at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours.