Tahini Espresso Trifle

2019-11-25

There’s more to holiday dessert than gingerbread. For an elegant Christmas dessert that is easy, quick and impressive, a trifle cake is one of the best holiday desserts for a crowd.

We’ve kicked up a classic recipe and added an element of depth to the layered after-dinner indulgence – with Krinos tahini.

Tahini – This luscious sesame spread adds warmth and silkiness to an already colourful and comforting dessert – paired with tiramisu-inspired flavours, and a hint of espresso and raspberries.

It looks more complicated than it is – but once you break it down, the Espresso Tahini Trifle is not a difficult dessert to make at all. You can make it in stages and in advance, allowing the flavours to meld, well before guests arrive.

Step 1: Start by making the raspberry sauce. To begin, in a small bowl, combine 2 tbsps. of sugar and cornstarch then mix well. In a medium saucepan, heat ¼ cup of water and 1 package of thawed raspberries to boil. Reduce heat to low and add cornstarch mixture, whisking until well combined. Simmer, whisking until mixture is thickened and just coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine ½ cup of Krinos Tahini with ¼ cup of milk and blend until smooth. Stir in ¼ cup of liquid honey until smooth.

Step 3: With an electric mixer, beat 2 cups of cream until soft peaks form. Begin folding whipped cream into tahini mixture, one cup at a time until fully combined.

Step 4: In a medium bowl, combine 1-1 ½ cups of espresso and 3 tbsps. Grand Marnier (optional). Dip each lady finger in espresso mixture to coat both sides. Do not allow the cookies to become soaked. Place one-quarter of the cookies in a single layer on the bottom of a trifle bowl, cutting to fit if necessary.

Assemble the layers: Spoon one-quarter of the raspberry sauce over the first layer of lady fingers and then top with 1/4 of the tahini cream. Dust lightly with cocoa powder. Repeat three more times finishing with tahini cream.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or more. When ready to serve, arrange fresh raspberries on top of trifle and lightly dust with cocoa if desired. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, and serve.

For the full recipe, visit krinos.ca/recipes/espresso-tahini-trifle/.