Meyer Lemon & Blueberry Trifle (and More Easter Feasting)

Some people will argue that the internet and social networking is disconnecting us as a society. I think the opposite is true.  Not only do I interact and meet with so many great people that I never would have met otherwise through my blog, without my online community, I doubt that this Easter trifle would have ever been made.

The moms in our subdivision have created a Facebook group that has brought a lot of us together... when I had the idea for a trifle for Easter I put out a plea to borrow a trifle bowl, and the moms came through!

This trifle is a combo of two three four five of my favourite things, Dorie's Perfection Pound Cake, Meyer lemon curd, blueberries, cream cheese and whipped cream.  You'll want to put this all together at least 8 hours before serving, but you can bake the cake up to a day before that and the lemon curd and blueberry sauce a day or two before that if you want to spread out the work.

My Meyer Lemon & Blueberry Trifle

Serves 12 (or more)

1 recipe Dorie's Perfection Pound Cake

1 recipe Meyer lemon curd (see below)

1 recipe blueberry sauce (see below)

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

1 8oz package cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)

3 tbsp Cointreau

Candied Meyer Lemon Peel (optional)

Meyer Lemon Curd

Adapted from the Lemon Curd recipe in Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 tbsp light corn syrup

3/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (about 6 or 7)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Blueberry Sauce

1 1/2 cup blueberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

To make the lemon curd, grab yourself a bag of Meyer lemons (regular lemons will work as well of course, and it will have more of that lemon tang and less of the Meyer sweetness).  Juice enough of the lemons to make the 3/4 cup.  Save some of the peel if you want to make some candied peel for the top.

In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar and eggs together until well blended.  Then whisk in the corn syrup and meyer lemon juice.

Add the chunks of butter and then put the pan over medium heat, whisking all the while. In about 8 minutes the curd will be starting to thicken.  When the curd thickens and you see the first bubble breaking the surface, remove from heat. 

Pour the curd into a bowl...

Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap so a 'skin' does not form.  Allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until you are putting together the trifle.

To make the blueberry sauce, add 1/2 a cup of the blueberries to a small saucepan and crush them with a fork.  Add the sugar and cornstarch and stir.  Add the water and remaining blueberries and bring to boil.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, transfer to bowl, cool and then refrigerate until needed.

When you are ready to make the trifle, cut the cake into 1 inch cubes, take the lemon curd and blueberry sauce from the fridge and make the cream cheese layer.  To do this, whip the cream cheese in a large bowl (stand mixer preferable with whipping attachment).  Whip in the sugar and the 2 cups of heavy cream.  Whip until stiff peaks form.

To build the trifle, start with a layer of 1/3 blueberry sauce, then 1/3 lemon curd, then 1/3 cake (sprinkled with 1 tbsp Cointreau) then 1/3 of the fresh blueberries and 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture.  Repeat layers and garnish top as desired.

If you want to make candied Meyer lemon peel, remove the pith (white membrane) from the peel of one lemon and slice the peel into thin strips.  Simmer in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the mixture and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.  Remove peel to a small piece of parchment paper to dry before using.

I wanted to share the cute centrepiece I made, it's a Dollar Store special... a glitter egg pick along with some  faux pussy willows in a tall vase filled with candy-coated chocolate eggs and finished with a bow.  Best part, we raided the chocolates after the trifle was gone.

Before we dug into trifle, we had lasagna... two of them.  I made a meat lasagna and also my delicious Mushroom Lasagna.

I also baked a batch of my focaccia and made it in two 9" pie plates instead of a 9x13 pan.

Awesome food and even better company!

Did you have a family gathering over the Easter weekend?  Was it traditional or a family favorite?

Special thanks to Ginelle for the use of the Trifle Bowl!