Citrus & Cardamom Trifle
I love a good trifle. I like the idea of just packing the good stuff (fillings) into a big dish instead of bothering with a crust or vessel of any kind (not that I’m not a crust girlie). Citrus and cardamom are a match made in heaven AND two of my favorite flavors, so this one is definitely a win in my book. This is the perfect dessert to bring to a party in the winter- so tasty AND colorful enough to cheer you right out of your winter blues.
You can use any citrus you like here- I favor a combination of oranges/blood oranges and grapefruit. I’ve listed in the ingredients that you should supreme your citrus before beginning this recipe- that’s just the process of completely cutting away the outer peel and pith of the fruit and then removing the thin skin around each segment- this really is a necessary step, if a little tedious. It makes the texture of the trifle a lot more appealing. There’s a great step-by-step HERE if you’re not sure how. As far as your mascarpone cream goes, if you don’t have a piping bag (or don’t feel like using one), you can spread the cream over the trifle with a spatula instead- I just prefer the look of it when piped. This takes a little over an hour to make + a few hours to rest and soak in the flavors and makes 5-6 servings.
Ingredients
Mascarpone cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces mascarpone
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Biscuit layer
8 ounces ladyfinger cookies (I’ve used butter cookies in a pinch with no issues)
1/2 cup whole milk
Fruit layer
3 cups supremed citrus fruit (I use one large grapefruit, two cara cara oranges, and two blood oranges)
Directions
Begin by making your mascarpone cream. In a large bowl, whip the mascarpone, half the sugar, vanilla, and cardamom, until light and fluffy, about 30-60 seconds.
In another bowl, beat your heavy cream with the other half of the sugar until it reaches firm peaks. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone until completely combined, then add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold until no streaks of white remain. Spoon into a large piping bag, cut a large opening at the tip, and set aside.
Pour your milk in a wide bowl. Dip each biscuit into the milk for 4-5 seconds on each side, then place it into a small-medium trifle dish, repeating with more biscuits until the entire bottom is covered. Break the biscuits into smaller pieces if necessary to fit into the nooks and crannies.
Pipe or spread a layer of the mascarpone mixture over the top of the cookies. The mascarpone layer should be about as thick as the cookies.
Evenly arrange about 2/3 of the sliced citrus on top of the mascarpone.
Dip and layer another layer of milky biscuits, then neatly pipe a final layer of cream on top.
Refrigerate covered for at least three hours, ideally closer to eight.
When you’re ready to serve, arrange a pile of the rest of the sliced citrus on top and garnish with thinly sliced citrus peels if desired. Don’t top with the citrus before you’re ready to serve, as it will likely split the cream. This is fine to make 1-2 days ahead. Enjoy!
