Something Yummy This Way Comes: Gingerbread Lemon Curd Trifle with Blueberry Sauce

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With the festive season coming up, someone had to go out and do a little research in the recipe tasting department in search of fresh and fabulous ideas for the coming weeks. (A dirty job I know - scouring the interwebs and cookbooks for that singularly sinful recipe) So I looked high and low until I found this lovely trifle (compliments of Bobby Flay).

If you're looking for something unique to serve over the holidays, and you like the taste of some big and bossy flavours, allow me to introduce you to this dynamic dessert. It's best made at least a day in advance when everything starts to meld beautifully into a harmonious burst of tantalizing ginger, lemon and blueberry. It's bold in taste, and comforting in texture. Kinda perfect, I think, for a cold winter day...

For the Gingerbread Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup molasses

1 cup boiling water

2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Butter a 13 X 9 baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Stir in crystallized ginger. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in brown sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. 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 to 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.

To assemble

Using a trifle bowl, start with an even layer of gingerbread cubes, top with 1/3 of the lemon curd mixture (recipe follows), and 1/3 of the blueberry sauce (recipe follows). Repeat twice more. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (but overnight is better) before serving. Serve up with a big ol' dollop of whipped cream.

Lemon Curd Filling

2 bottles of lemon curd (I recommend the Trader Joe's lemon curd in 10.5 ounce bottles if you can get it....)

1 litre of whipping cream sweetened with about 3 tablespoons of icing sugar and 2 teaspoons of icing sugar and whipped until soft peaks are formed.

Place lemon curd in a large bowl. Fold in 2/3rds of the whipped cream until combined. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Reserve remaining whipped cream for the top of the trifle

Blueberry Sauce

1 16 ounce bag of frozen blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon triple sec (or other orange flavoured liquor)

Place blackberries, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook until the berries are soft and the sugar has melted. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Stir in the triple sec and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to use.