Lemon Berry Trifle

For our Easter Dinner I made this trifle and it lasted all of about 5 minutes. Here is the recipe (for Adrienne!).

Lemon Berry Trifle:

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 4 cups sweetened homemade whipped cream
• 1 prepared lemon pound cake, sliced
• 1/4 cup Limoncello or Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Step 1: Prepare the Lemon Curd.

Bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over the simmering water, without letting the bottom touch, and continue to whisk. Keep working-out that arm and whisk it vigorously for a good 10 minutes, until the curd has doubled in volume and is very thick (should coat the back of a spoon) and yellow. Don't let it boil. Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of chunks at a time, until melted. Refrigerate until the custard is cold and firm.

Step 2: Prepare the Berries & Cake.

Slice the lemon (or plain if you prefer) pound cake. If there are no kiddies in attendance you can drizzle or brush on Limoncello or Grand Marnier (optional). Wash and dry your choice of berries and slice if neccesary. 

*The recipe calls for 1 pound cake, I used almost 2. In total you'll need about 3-4 pints of berries.

Step 3: Whipped Cream & Filling.

Start with 2-4 cups of heavy cream. Add sugar until the sweetness is to your preference. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. Fold in the chilled lemon curd to create the filling.

Step 4: Assemble.

Line your glass trifle bowl with pieces of pound cake to fit. Spoon a layer of lemon curd filling over the cake, top with berries. Repeat the layers until the ingredients are used up, the final top layer looks best if it is berries.

Step 5: Set.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill, I recommend an hour. Garnish with fresh mint.

Tip: You can prepare the lemon curd ahead of time and leave it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. However don't assemble more than 4 hours ahead of time or it will get soggy.