Tiramisu

I made this very unorthodox but very delicious tiramisu yesterday, and wanted to share the recipe. Tiramisu looks beautiful in deep glass dishes that show off the different layers of the dessert. It pulls together quite easily (just 5 ingredients!), and tastes delicious when served with sliced strawberries. I still had macerated ones leftover from my trifle recipe posted earlier, and the syrup and fruit was a really nice complement to the taste of the coffee. However, you can certainly omit the fruit if you're aiming for a more unadulterated tiramisu taste. I added a tad less sugar than I should have for the whipping cream, and so I used Starbucks hot cocoa powder on top to give the tiramisu a little extra sweetness. Serve chilled with the garnish of your choice. Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

• 1 angel food cake (13.5 oz.)
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• strawberries for garnish (optional) 

1. Slice the angel's food cake into 1/2" thick slices and arrange in a deep glass dish. Make sure that there are no gaps in the cake layer.
2. Whip the 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar for about 3 minutes, or until light, airy peaks form.
3. Pour 1/3 of the coffee over the  cake until it is thoroughly soaked. 

      4. Spread 1/3 of the whipped cream in a layer over the coffee-soaked cake.

    5. Build another layer of cake, coffee and whipped cream. Repeat until the last third of cake,                   coffee, and whipped cream are completed.
    6. Sift the cocoa powder through a strainer and spread it over the top layer of whipped cream.

    7. Garnish the top with sliced strawberries, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hour.

    8. Serve with more fresh strawberry slices. Enjoy!

Trifle

Trifle is a very easy dessert to pull together once you've assembled the different components, and is especially delicious on a hot summer's day. We've been getting a lot of perfectly ripened berries at the grocery store lately, and I thought this trifle would be a wonderful way to showcase the sweet bounty of the summer. You can certainly use any combination of fruit that you'd like. I tried to stay with red berries because the alternating red and white layers look gorgeous in a glass dish. This recipe makes enough for 3 large servings of trifle - adapt it to make as many as you'd like. Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup of strawberries, sliced
• 3 tbsp sugar (more if fruit is tart)
• Angel's Food cake (as necessary)
• 2 pints of raspberries
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Take strawberries and dust with 2 tbsp of sugar in a bowl. Mix together and set aside to macerate.

2. Take 1/3 of a pint of raspberries and heat in a small saucepan for about 5 minutes until a thickened, slightly jammy syrup has formed. Add sugar if necessary. Set aside. 

3. Take 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and beat with 1 tbsp of sugar until whipped cream forms (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside. 

3. Gather 3 glasses - wineglasses work well for this desert - and cut a 1/2" thick slice of angel's food cake to place in the bottom of each glass. 

4. Divide the raspberry jam among the three glasses of trifle, and spread over the cake. 

5. Arrange strawberry slices on top of the jam. Add raspberries along the edges. 

6. Spread ~1/6 of the whipping cream over the fruit and flatten with a spoon. Make sure to keep the sides of the glass clean above this layer.

7. Continues building layers with one more slice of cake, strawberries, raspberries, and whipped cream. 

8. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Chili-Lime Garlic Butter

I threw together this weird-looking but delicious spread one afternoon when I wanted to make a slightly spicy complement for a crusty roll of ciabatta that we brought home. Don't let its looks deceive you - my family polished off an entire loaf of bread with this right away! The recipe is really quick, so I didn't take process pictures. It has a bit of a kick, so make sure to add as much chili powder as you think you'll need. I actually added a bit more than the recipe calls for, but mine was pretty spicy. It tastes great spread on slices of baguette toasted with a little Parmesan cheese, or on fresh bread right away. Enjoy!


Here's the recipe:

• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup of washed, chopped coriander
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 3/4 tsp. of red chili powder (or to taste)
• 4 oz. salted butter, softened to room temperature

1. Combine garlic, coriander, lime juice, and chili powder in a food processor and combine.

2. Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the softened butter, and mix thoroughly with a fork until there are no lumps of butter left. Serve with crusty bread, such as a baguette or roll of ciabatta. Enjoy!