Mixed Berry Trifle

I know.  Drool worthy, if I may say so myself.  I made this treat for my sister's birthday two weeks ago. Which was ironic because she gave up sweets for lent so she couldn't eat it.  So I really made this for myself, under the excuse of it being my sister's birthday.  Everyone loved it!

Don't worry, I made my sister some nice carrot muffins (recipe to come later this week!).  To her, they were like candy.  Moral of the story is to not give up sweets, or you will miss some delicious things like this mixed berry trifle!  It's basically a bowl of strawberry shortcake, with crumbled cake layered with cream and berries like a parfait.  Who doesn't love a parfait?!

I'm sorry about the delay from the last time I shared a recipe.  With this past weekend being easter, things got a bit crazy.  Funny part is, I did a lot of baking, but didn't get any pictures :(  I'm so new to photography I'm not one of those people who basically wear their camera as a necklace.  I hope some day that's me.

I also started breaking ground this weekend to extend my garden by over 47 feet!  For those of you who are not super familiar with gardening, the amount of work it takes to "prep" a garden in the spring is incredible.  Breaking ground on over 47 feet of grass to become a garden?  Well, that's just insane. All I can say is I have not had to workout in the conventional sense for the past few days and I sleep really well at night :)  I'm teaching my boyfriend to like gardening, at least he was pretty excited about the post pounder we used to put the fence around the garden.  My dad is my gardening partner in crime, as well as my best friend Jessica, and together we are going to have an epic garden this summer, in the suburbs of New Jersey!  I also have been working on starting a gardening blog to share my knowledge about backyard gardening that will cover everything from how to grow your own seeds, to how to raise different types of plants/vegetables, as well as urban gardening.  If you have a window, you can grow a plant.  Even fresh basil makes a difference in daily cooking!

But enough rambling for one day.  The real treat here is this berry trifle.  The most amazing part is it is dairy free, grain and gluten-free, as well as refined sugar-free.  I used coconut flour to make the cake part, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite flours to bake with.  I talk about coconut flour it my post here about dual colored sweet potato gnocchi.  Basically, it is low in calories and carbs while creating light and fluffy baked goods.

This bowl is not only a delicious mess, but also a pretty healthy treat that will satisfy the sweetest tooth without breaking the last button on your jeans!  After a huge birthday meal, this dessert was the perfect way to end the meal without putting anyone into a food coma.  Charlie was already in a food coma...

This is how I feel today after a hard weekend of cooking, celebrating (can someone say wine?), and gardening.  I spent all day gardening and now I'm off to finish up.  Here's to farm fresh food in your own backyard!  Until next time, enjoy this recipe and get outside and play in the dirt :)


Mixed Berry Trifle

Lemon Pound Cake:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and coat a mini muffin pan with coconut oil (or line with mini-muffin liners). Beat eggs, vanilla, coconut milk, lemon zest, and honey together until well combined.  Briefly whisk the coconut flour, baking soda, and salt before sifting it into the wet mixture and beat until smooth. Spoon about a tablespoon into each greased mini muffin tin and bake for about 15 min, or until golden brown.  Let cool completely before removing from the pan.

Coconut Cream:

1 can coconut cream* (I use Trader Joe's brand)
2 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp lemon zest

*If you can't find coconut cream, you can chill three cans of full fat coconut milk overnight, then scrape the solid top cream off the top of each can.

Directions:
Using hand held beaters, or the whisk attachment on a kitchen aid, beat all three ingredients until they are light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  It will not double in volume like heavy whipping cream, but it will be noticeably airer and look like whipped cream.

To assemble the trifle:

1 recipe for lemon pound cake
1 recipe for coconut cream
fresh mixed berries of your choice, about 1 pint of each

Directions:
In a large bowl, add a layer of the mini cakes, cream, then berries.  Continue until you have used up all the ingredients.  Buon Appetite!