Back from Break with Big News
Tiramisu Trifle
Spring Break 2013 started with a Big Easter Bang and ended with Big Book News. Not much beats a family gathering with lots of delicious food. And what does a historical fiction author take to Easter potluck? Dessert with a history stretching back to seventeenth century Italy; a Tiramisu Trifle! As part of the This Writer’s Life category on my blog, I’m posting the recipe today. I promise it’s easy, because This Writer has kids and a nursing career and a house and there are just limits to what one woman can accomplish in a day!
And the Big Book News? Well, my debut novel has a new title! It’s still about the beautiful Royalist exile who rejected three of the seventeenth century’s most illustrious kings. But she also graced England’s coins for generations as the model for Britannia, which is why I’m proud to announce the new title here for the first time …
Girl on the Golden Coin,
a Novel of Frances Stuart
Now bear with me while I attempt to scrub out all mentions of the old title in previous posts. And update Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, my website, third cousins, and my mail carrier. Whew! All this excitement calls for celebration with another Tiramisu Trifle!
Marci’s Tiramisu Trifle
Ingredients:
packaged lady fingers (enough for 3 layers in your trifle dish)
two 8 ounce packages mascarpone cheese
two cups heavy cream
one cup sugar
one cup espresso
one or two cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips for chocolate curls
Instructions:
Layer the bottom of your trifle dish with lady fingers (I halved mine to get the edges closer to the curve of the dish). Brush espresso over the lady fingers (or use a turkey baster – the spongy cookies absorb liquid well). Stir half of the sugar and mascarpone cheese in a bowl. In a separate, chilled bowl, whisk heavy cream and the other half of the sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold the cheese mixture into the cream mixture. Proceed to layer this mixture with the lady fingers (adjust according to the size of your dish, mine held three layers of each). Don’t forget to brush each layer of lady fingers with espresso. End with a cream layer and top with chocolate curls. Refrigerate until time to serve. Enjoy!
To make chocolate curls:
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Spread into a thin layer on a cookie sheet and allow to harden. Use a metal spatula to scrape the edges of the chocolate away from you to form curls (this takes some practice, but even if it just flakes it will be pretty on top of the cream).
Historical cosmetics lovers, have no fear. My spring break travels took me to a wonderful museum exhibit in Cincinnati that I’ll share with you soon. Photos of ancient cosmetic containers may even be included!
