So finally, I got sometime off to come back to blog, right when I am between jobs, having no day job for another couple of days to come. Life had been pretty busy all these past days. Juggling between a family outing followed by a couple of farewells and parties at home for seeing off friends at workplace followed by family coming over for a week, I couldn’t catch my breath. Though I have been enjoying every bit of it, sans the farewell part. Farewells are something I just can’t seem to be at peace with. The feeling of getting separated from the loved ones makes me sad. Especially, when you’ve spent seven years at a place knowing people from the beginning. It’s like growing up with them. Nope, not at all an easy thing for me. Though I understand well, that it also makes you even more stronger emotionally. Hence, the purpose is to move on and experience the new world. The world is full of opportunities and one must take a plunge into the newness to make best out of them. Yeah! enough of this heavy serious blabber. Let’s talk about this awesome mouthful sounding trifle puddings which I made a couple of days with fresh juicy seasonal cherries, freshly whipped mascarpone and a homemade gluten free almond meal and a luscious drizzle of very good dark chocolate ganache. These trifle puddings are little guilt free, as you can keep them low on sugar and have no gluten. Very light and amazingly refreshing are these! I did spike them with soaking the cherries in kirsch, but if you want your kids to have them, just soak your cherries in some fresh apple juice, if you like.
- 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 2 tbsp lemon zest, packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cup finely ground almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 350 gm pitted cherries
- 1/3 cup kirsch or apple juice
- 600 ml double cream
- 200 gm mascarpone
- 200 gm dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup icing sugar, plus extra to dust
- almond sponge, torn into 3 cm pieces
- Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and line base with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together with a wooden spoon the egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth.
- With an electric mixer with a very clean bowl and clean whisk attachment, beat the egg whites. When bubbles start to form, add a pinch of salt and the teaspoon of lemon juice. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, a little at a time, as you continue to beat the eggs whites. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Fold the beaten egg whites into the almond mixture a large scoopful at a time.
- Gently scoop the batter into a the prepared springform pan and place in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Combine the cherries and kirsch or apple juice in a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, place half the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Break 150 gm chocolate into pieces and add to cream, stirring until the chocolate ganache is smooth and combined. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk remaining cream and mascarpone, icing sugar to soft peaks.
- To assemble the trifle, divide half the almond sponge among 6 x 1-cup (250ml) glasses and gently press into the bases. Top with half the cherries and a little of their soaking liquid. Spoon over half the ganache, then half the mascarpone mixture. Repeat the process, finishing with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Drizzle over remaining ganache, shave over remaining 50g chocolate and dust with icing sugar to serve.
I really like this. Cherries and almonds are a great combination!