I had envisioned it to be served on a plate. However, now I started to notice the manner of serving that the recipe suggested-a bowl. Then, I sighed as I placed it in the fridge for the last chilling time, calculating just how much this watery mess cost me to make with all the fresh berries.
After 8 hours, to my surprise it all solidified, no runny mess! Also, unlike what the recipe said, it could be served on a plate! What I had ended up with was a delicious final dessert-crunchy lady fingers covered in a bed of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries with a touch of lime. Then, to top it all off, is tart mixture of marscapone and lime curd. In the end, I decided it was perhaps one of the tastiest ways to enjoy a good dose of ice cold berries this season!
Please note that this particular recipe has several components that have to chill for many hours, so read thoroughly before planning to make this.
Mixed Berry Tiramisu with Lime Curd
adapted from Bon Appetit/June 2009
Ingredients/Lime Curd
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tbs lime peel
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat. Then stir in lime juice, lime peel, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Pour the egg yolks into the saucepan with the butter and lime. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until curd thickens and leaves a path on the back of a spoon. A thermometer should register 165 degrees and cook time is about 10-15 minutes.
Place a mesh strainer over a heat proof bowl and pour curd into bowl. Then place plastic wrap all over the surface of the curd. Place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
Ingredients/Filling and Base
1/2 cup water (for berries)
1/3 cup water (for syrup)
3 tbs lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
3- 1 1/2 inch lime peel strips
1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
3 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 7oz package of ladyfingers ( or make your own, as I did, recipe here )
For the berry mixture, stir together powdered sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Then fill with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Place over medium high heat and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Turn down heat to medium and let cook for 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. After cooked, berries will be soft but still intact. Mix in the lime juice. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, fold in strawberries. Cover and chill for 4 hours.
For the syrup, place 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar and lime peel strips in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove and let cool to room temperature and discard lime peel. Then brush the syrup all over the ladyfingers, the top as well as the bottom. Place in a 9X13 inch glass baking dish. Make sure cookies cover the whole bottom of the pan, you may need to cut them to fit. Then pour the chilled berry mixture over the top, smoothing so all ladyfingers are covered. Set aside.
Ingredients/ Top Layer
2 1/2- 8 oz containers or 20 oz of mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 recipe lime curd (above)
Beat together mascarpone and whipping cream until thickened and blended. Then beat in the lime curd. Using a large spoon drop dollups of the topping onto the cold berries. Then smooth the top, making sure that all the berries are covered. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.
After eight hours, cut and serve.
Tips and Notes:
1. To make sure that your dish will be ready by lunch, you will need to prepare the lime curd, berry mixture and (if you make them) lady fingers 2 days in advance and compile the dessert and chill one day in advance.
2. Pan does not need greasing, dessert comes cleanly and easily out of pan.
3. I used only 16 oz of mascarpone and 1/4 cup and 2 tbs of whipping cream with the lime curd and it was enough to cover. How much you use or how thick you want the topping is at your discretion.
4. When beating marscarpone and whipped cream, do not over do it for it may curdle.
**LAST YEAR: 50/50 Biscuits**
