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Raspberry trifle
Dish up layers of flavor with this colorful trifle.
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
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Making your own vanilla extract
Save money and have plenty of pure vanilla extract on hand for your baking projects. See tip below.
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
SERVES 10–12
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
4 cups raspberries
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ pounds store-bought or homemade pound cake
In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup of sugar, ¼ cup water and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1–2 minutes. Let this lemon syrup cool.
In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries and the remaining sugar, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip the cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla to form stiff peaks. Slice pound cake into ¾-inch slices; brush each side with lemon syrup. Place one-third of the cake slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other flat-bottomed glass bowl. Layer with one-third of the raspberry mixture and then one-third of the whipped cream. Repeat to make two more layers. Garnish with remaining raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
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Recipe tips
How to make your own vanilla extract: Vanilla extract can be costly, especially if you bake often. Make your own by placing 8–10 vanilla beans in a quart jar with a clamp stopper and pouring a fifth of inexpensive vodka (25 ounces) in the jar. Secure the stopper; place in your pantry and shake weekly. In two months, you’ll have enough vanilla extract for a year’s worth of baking projects. Or, divide it into smaller, decorative bottles and share as gifts. You can save a bit of money by buying the vanilla beans online, rather than in supermarkets.