Ricotta trifle with cherry chocolate sauce

Hello everyone,

I was about to enthuse about what a lovely sunny day we are having in Sydney when I remembered that we have subscribers to this service from Perth and Melbourne who have all been sweltering of late! I hope wherever you are when you read this email you are cool and comfortable.

This week I have a lovely dessert for you that comes from one of my favourite sweets chefs in Sydney (I have a few favourites in that category). I often make this trifle to take to BBQs in summer as the cherries are plentiful, you can make half of it the night before and just finish it off the next morning, and because it travels well. It is rather rich, but it’s such a yummy blend of flavours that I’m sure it will go down well with those you are feeding!

Have a happy week.

Love from Jane xx

Ricotta trifle with cherry chocolate sauce

(A recipe from Lorraine Godsmark, fabulous pastry chef who is currently at Yellow Bistro at Potts Point – well worth dropping by for a slice of her cheesecake, it is stunning!)

Serves 4-6

You should start this recipe the night before.

What you need:
· 500g fresh ricotta
· ¼ cup caster sugar
· ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
· 125g sour cream
· 200g biscotti, plus extra to serve
· 100ml amaretto or marsala
· 250g fresh cherries, halved and pitted
· 1/3 cup Demerara sugar (really, just use plain old caster sugar if that is all you have)
· Icing sugar for dusting

Chocolate sauce
· 100ml thin cream
· 250g chocolate

What you do:
1. Whiz ricotta, caster sugar, rind and sour cream in the bowl of a food processor until smooth.
2. Break up the biscotti and soak in the liqueur.
3. Line the serving bowl you intend to use (looks beautiful in a glass bowl if you have one) with the soaked biscotti and spread the biscotti with half of the ricotta mix. Repeat so you have two layers of biscotti and ricotta cream. Leave in the fridge overnight.
4. The next day, toss the cherries and Demerara sugar in a pan on top of the stove over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar melts and the cherry juices start to run. Remove the cherries from the pan and cool.
5. To make the sauce, bring the cream and 100ml water to the boil (watch this very carefully, and remove the pan from the heat as soon as it comes to the boil).
6. Drop the pieces of chopped chocolate into the cream and stir until the sauce is smooth. Allow to cool.
7. Serve the trifle by pouring the chocolate sauce over it and then adding the cherries to the top. Serve the extra biscotti on the side, dusted with icing sugar.