Berry Chocolate Trifle

By: Jennifer MacKenzie

Airy chocolate cake, a softly set, rich chocolate custard and liqueur-spiked berries offer a twist on traditional trifle. Each element can be made ahead as can the assembly of the trifl es so they’re ready and waiting in the fridge when it’s time for dessert. In fact, they benefit from standing so there’s no fuss when you’re ready to serve except to add the final garnish. For traditionalists, a dollop of sweetened whipped cream before the chocolate shavings is always a nice touch.

Cake

3 eggs
⅓ cup (75 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50 mL) unsweetened
cocoa powder
Pinch salt
½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter, melted

Chocolate Custard

3 cups (750 mL) milk
⅓ cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
4 tsp (20 mL) cornstarch
3 egg yolks
6 oz (175 g) bittersweet (dark) chocolate,
finely chopped
1½ tsp (7 mL) vanilla

Berries

4 cups (1 L) frozen mixed berries
½ cup (125 mL) framboise, Chambord
or other fruit liqueur
Bittersweet (dark) chocolate shavings,
for garnish

1. For cake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20-cm) square cake pan with parchment paper.

3. Place eggs (in shells) in a bowl and cover with warm water; let eggs warm to slightly above room temperature, refreshing with more warm water if it cools. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and salt.

4. Drain water from eggs and crack into a straight-sided bowl. Add sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until very pale, quadrupled in volume and ribbons fall slowly from beater when lifted. Beat in vanilla. Sprinkle with half the flour mixture and fold just until combined. Gently fold in remaining flour mixture. Fold in butter. Pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake for about 25 minutes or just until top springs back when lightly pressed. Let cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake and invert onto rack. Peel off paper and let cool completely.

6. For custard, heat milk and half the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat just until steaming. In a bowl, whisk remaining sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks until blended. Gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly. Return to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for about 12 minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbles just rise to the surface. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a clean bowl over chocolate. Add vanilla and stir until chocolate is melted. Place plastic directly on the surface and chill completely, for at least 4 hours or for up to 1 day.

7. For berries, in a bowl, combine berries and liqueur. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 4 hours or until berries are melted and well flavoured with liqueur. Cut any large berries into smaller pieces.

8. To assemble, cut cake in half horizontally. Cut each half into 36 squares. Place 3 squares in each of eight 8- to 12-oz (250- to 375-mL) highball, parfait or wine glasses. Spoon 1 tbsp (15 mL) berries with juice on top of cake. Spoon in 1 heaping tbsp (15 mL plus) of the custard. Repeat once with cake, berries and custard. Top with remaining cake cubes, then custard and berries and juice. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or for up to 8 hours.

9. To serve, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Serves 8

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Berry Delight

By: The Martini Club

In a cocktail shaker, add 1 tbsp. fresh cranberries, 1 tbsp fresh or frozen strawberries and 2 tsp simple syrup. Mash. Fill the shaker with ice, add 1 oz orange juice and 1 oz white cranberry juice. Shake and stain into a martini glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

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Butter-Poached Lobster

By: Lucy Waverman

The inspiration for this very special entertaining dish comes from Keith Froggett at Scaramouche restaurant, one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. It is an easy way to serve an already cooked lobster that does not overcook it and butter, of course, is lobster’s traditional accompaniment.

4 cooked lobsters, 1¼ lbs (625 g) each
½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
Maldon salt to taste

1. Remove lobster meat from its shell.

2 Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add tarragon and lobster meat and toss to coat. Turn heat to low and warm lobster, covered, turning pieces as needed for 3 minutes or until warmed through.

3 Spoon a little Jerusalem Artichoke and Potato Purée onto each plate, add some Sautéed Swiss Chard and place the lobster meat on top. Sprinkle with Maldon salt. Spoon a little of the tarragon butter overtop. Add some Smoked Paprika Salsa (recipe follows) around plate.

Serves 4

Jerusalem artichoke and potato purée

Jerusalem artichokes have such a unique flavour. Mixed with an equal amount of potatoes they make a tasty purée that matches with the lobster.

1 lb (500 g) Jerusalem artichokes,
peeled and halved
1 lb (500 g) Yukon Gold potatoes,
peeled and diced
4 cloves peeled garlic
Salt
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
⅓ cup (75 mL) buttermilk
Freshly ground pepper

1. Place artichokes, potatoes and garlic in a pot. Cover with cold water, salt and bring to boil. Boil for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes and artichokes are soft.

2. Drain and return pot to turned-off stove, shake over heat for a minute to dry off potatoes.

3. Mash potatoes, artichokes and garlic together with an electric mixer. Add butter and enough buttermilk to make a purée and beat mixture until purée is smooth, adding more buttermilk and butter if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Sautéed swiss chard

You can substitute spinach, but chard has more texture and flavour.

1 bunch Swiss chard
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
½ cup (125 mL) onion, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped garlic
2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Remove bottom ½ inch (1 cm) of chard stems, and discard. Slice remaining stems into ½-inch (1-cm) pieces. Coarsely slice leaves.

2. Heat oil on medium heat and add onion and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add chard stems, cover and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add leaves and cook another 5 minutes or until leaves are tender.

3. Splash with balsamic vinegar, bring to boil, season and serve.

Serves 4

Smoked Paprika Salsa

Always make more roasted tomatoes than you need as they are wonderful tossed in a salad or a sauce. This salsa keeps for a week in the refrigerator.

2 plum tomatoes, roasted
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
Kosher salt
¼ cup (50 mL) chopped roasted red pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped garlic
½ tsp (2 mL) spicy smoked Spanish paprika
1 tbsp (15 mL) sherry vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped Italian parsley
Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. To roast plum tomatoes, cut in half, remove seeds, toss with 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and season with a little kosher salt. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tomato is soft and slightly browned.

3. Place remaining 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil, tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, paprika, sherry vinegar and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

Makes about ½ cup (125 mL)

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