Gingerbread and Lemon Curd Trifle with Blackberry Sauce

You really do need a clear glass trifle bowl for this. It's very pretty!

Gingerbread Cake:

3 c all-purpose flour

2 Tblsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tblsp minced crystallized ginger

10 Tblsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c packed golden brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 c molasses

1 c boiling water

2 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Lemon Curd (see previous post for Easy Lemon Curd)

Lemon Curd Filling (recipe follows)

Blackberry Sauce (recipe follows)

Whipped Cream Topping (whipped cream left over from Lemon Curd Filling)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°. Grease a half-sheet cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the paper.

Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix in crystallized ginger.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, till well blended. Gradually beat in molasses, followed by 1 cup boiling water. Mix in grated lemon peel. Gradually mix in dry ingredients.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan sides. Turn out onto a rack and peel off paper. Cool and cut into 1-inch cubes. You will have more cake than you might want to use.

Lemon Curd Filling

1 recipe (see previous January post) Lemon Curd

2 c heavy cream, sweetened to taste with sugar and vanilla, beaten to soft peaks

Gently fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into the lemon curd until just combined. Reserve the other 1/2 to top the trifle. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Blackberry Sauce

2 pints fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries, thawed

1/4 c sugar

pinch salt

2 Tblsp framboise (raspberry liqueur)

1 Tblsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Place blackberries, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and cook until berries are soft and the sugar has melted. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a bowl to remove seeds. Stir in framboise and lemon juice.

Assembly

Using a trifle bowl, start with an even layer of gingerbread cubes, top with 1/3 of the lemon curd mixture, then 1/3 of the blackberry sauce. Repeat 2 more times. Top with remaining whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

One of our favorite vegetable soups. Make it truly vegetarian by using veg stock and omitting bacon fat and ham hock.

White Bean and Cabbage Soup

1 1/2 c dried white beans (Great Northern or Navy) or 3 c canned white beans, rinsed

4 T bacon fat, salted butter, or extra-virgin olive oil

1 c coarsely chopped yellow onions

3 leeks, white part only, thoroughly cleaned and thinly sliced

2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

8 c chicken or vegetable stock

3 parsnips, peeled and chopped

1 ham hock

1/2 white cabbage, shredded (about 2 c)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1/2 c chopped Italian parsley

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Note: the above measurements aren't written in stone. More or less of any of the vegetables, or additions of your own is your choice; just adjust seasoning if needed. Add more stock or water if more liquid is needed.

If using dried beans, sort through them, discarding any pebbles you find. Soak overnight in water covering them by 3 inches. Alternatively, prepare the beans more quickly in a pressure cooker if you have one, following the cooker directions. Drain before using.

If using canned beans, rinse in a colander.

Melt the bacon fat or butter, or heat the oil in a heavy soup pot. Add onions, leeks, celery and carrots. Cook, covered, over low heat until vegetables are tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the thyme, bay leaf and a grinding of black pepper, then pour in the stock. Add parsnips, ham hock and drained soaked beans; if using canned beans, do not add at this point. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until beans are tender, about 40 minutes. Canned beans can be added approximately 20 minutes into the simmering time, so they don't turn to mush.

Remove ham hock and allow to cool slightly. Cut meat off the bone, cut into chunks and return meat to pot.

Add cabbage, garlic and parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. Correct seasoning and add salt if needed. Parmesan cheese and/or a drizzle of a good extra-virgin olive oil can be used as a garnish for individual bowls.

Easy Lemon Curd - I used this in a Christmas Trifle after adding homemade whipped cream. So light and fluffy. But also great on its own.

Lemon Curd

5 egg yolks (save the whites and add to scrambled eggs)

1 c sugar

4 lemons, zested (have you gotten a Microplane yet?) and juiced

1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Set up a double boiler; or, if you don't have one, add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal or Pyrex bowl (necessary if you don't have a double boiler) and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure lemon juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup (I had more juice than that and used it anyway). Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth.

Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and either pour egg mixture into the top of the double boiler or place the bowl on top of the saucepan (bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water, but small enough so that it will fit slightly into the pot and heat the eggs). Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a pat at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next.

Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd (this keeps a skin from forming).

Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Easy and Inexpensive Vegetarian Dish!

Bow Tie Pasta with Cauliflower and Butter

1 cauliflower, cut into tiny florets

4 Tblsp unsalted butter (I'm going to try a really good extra-virgin olive oil next time or a mixture of the two)

1/2 c finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (or several Tblsp dried)

2 tsp coarse prepared mustard (or more to taste)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lb Bow Tie pasta

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan, pecorino Romano, or a mixture of the two

1/2 - 1 c pitted Kalamata olives (optional)

1/2 c fresh bread crumbs, toasted till golden (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt generously. Add cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes. Scoop cauliflower into a large pasta bowl. Add butter, parsley, mustard, pepper flakes and cayenne. Tent to keep warm or place in a low oven.

Add pasta to the boiling water; cook till al dente. Drain in a mesh colander; I don't shake it a lot till the pasta is absolutely dry, I prefer it with a bit of the water clinging to the noodle. Add olives if you desire, grind a generous amount of black pepper over all. Toss with cheese and the crumbs (if desired). Taste for salt.

Serve immediately with a green salad.