Raspberry blueberry trifle (red white and blue)

Happy Birthday America! The big 4th of July week end is winding down. Thousands of pic-nicks and family barbecues are coming to and end. Now we are all waiting for the fireworks to round out the evening. In our case this means going across the street and watching our neighbor's private little fireworks show. Earlier today we hosted a small family gathering at our house doing the traditional bq theme. We served up a bunch of grilled chicken drumsticks (recipe to come), which are always a hit.
 I also made a couple of my summer staples, such as my potato salad and my orzo salad (recipes to come), and for dessert this fun red, white and blue berry trifle which was amazing! It received rave reviews from everyone and  my husband even went as far as saying it was probably the best dessert I have ever made! How is that for great compliments! And I have to say I can't think of a more perfect dessert for a lovely summer day. It is so wonderfully, fresh loaded with raspberries and blueberries, and it is sweet and creamy (yum!). Of course the colors made it perfect for the 4th of July but I have a feeling I will be making this many more times throughout the summer. It  is really easy to make and can be made up to 3 days ahead of time which is great when you are having a party and have several things on the menu.  All the postings for this week will feature recipes from our 4th of July family feast.


Berry trifle
1 1/2 pounds raspberries (5 cups)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
(from 1 large orange)
10 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
fine salt
About 15 ladyfingers, broken into 1-inch pieces (see note)
3/4 pound blueberries (2 1/2 cups)

In a medium bowl, combine raspberries with 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (why don't they just call it powdered sugar?) and orange juice. With the back of a fork, lightly mash berries to release their juices and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together mascarpone and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth. Whisk in cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and whisk until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes.

Cut one or two pieces parchment 1 inch taller than side of an 8-inch springform pan and line inside of pan (sides only). Place half the ladyfingers in pan and top with half the raspberry mixture.

With a small offset spatula spread half the whipped cream over berries.Tap pan gently on counter to remove air bubbles. Repeat with remaining ladyfingers, raspberry mixture, and whipped cream. Top with blueberries and refrigerate until whipped cream is stiff and cookies have softened, about 3 hours (or tightly covered with plastic, up to 3 days.). I had some juice leak out from my pan, so I recommend putting the cake pan on a plate covered with paper towels, just in case (maybe I just have a bad pan!). To serve, unmold trifle and peel away parchment.

Taste of summer!

Serves 8

Note! This is much less than the original recipe called for. I am not sure how Martha managed to squeeze in 24 ladyfingers!?


Recipe from, Martha Stewart Magazine Everyday Food, July/August, 2011