Monday, November 15, 2010

Blackberry, Lemon and Gingersnap Cheesecake Pudding

I made this for a baby shower and it was very pretty and very tasty. I loved the gingersnap crumbs, they gave it an unexpected spice that was fun because it was different from the usual graham cracker style crust in a lot of recipes. I used frozen berries since it wasn't berry season when I made it, and it turned out just fine. I also added a little bit of sugar to the whipping cream.

Lemon Curd
6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks

Blackberry Compote
2 c. fresh blackberries (about 12 ounces)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

Assembly
4 ounces gingersnap cookies (about 16)
1 1/2 c. chilled heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. mascarpone cheese
pinch of salt

Lemon Curd:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, cream and pinch of salt. Add eggs and egg yolks whisk to blend. Cook over medium-low heat until thick enough for mixture to leave path on the back of a spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, 6 to 7 minutes (do not boil). Strain into medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly atop lemon curd. Chill at least 8 hours or overnight.

Blackberry Compote:
Toss all ingredients in medium bowl to coat, lightly crushing some of the berries to release juices. Cover and chill until sugar dissolves and juices form, about 3 hours. Keep chilled.

Assembly:
Place cookies in large resealable plastic bag. Crush with mallet or rolling pin until largest pieces are about 1/2 inch. Using electric mixer, beat cream, mascarpone, and pinch of salt in large bowl just until peaks form. Arrange six 8-ounce parfait glasses or compote cups on work surface. Spoon 4 to 5 berries and some juices in bowl into each cup. Cover and chill remaining berries in bowl for serving. Spoon 1/4 c. mascarpone whipped cream over berries in each cup, spreading in even layers. Add generous 1 Tbsp. crush gingersnaps over. Repeat layering 1 more time with mascarpone whipped cream, lemon curd, and crushed gingersnaps. Top with remaining cream. Cover; chill desserts at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Uncover desserts. Spoon remaining berry mixture over and serve.

Yield:
6 servings

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