Mother’s Day desserts
Sweet treats to show mom you care
Of course, mom loves flowers, phone calls, handmade cards and heartfelt hugs, but this Mother’s Day, why not whip up something as sweet as she is?
“Layered trifle with fresh fruit – that’s usually my go-to for her,” said pastry chef Holly Haas of Frecon Farms in Boyertown. “Especially because it’s May, and spring is finally here.”
She arranges homemade cake, pudding and three types of berries.
“It’s very rustic in how it looks,” Haas described. “You can put it in a glass bowl and see the nice cake and fruit and pudding all around. And it doesn’t have to be smooth like a regular decorated cake should be.”
So even the youngest bakers can feel proud.
“It’s something they can handle with dad helping them,” she noted.
While trifle’s an English tradition, Apple Tarte Tatin will have mom saying, “merci!”
“I like it because it looks really impressive, and it’s really simple,” said chef Jenny Young of The Red House Catering and Love in a Bowl, Soups from The Red House — a Kimberton-based delivery service.
A French friend shared the recipe, which is “always a winner,” she added. “Everybody ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs.’”
Young, also an instructor at Cooking Spotlight in Phoenixville, caramelizes apples on the stovetop, then covers the skillet with pastry, slips it in the oven and finally flips the finished tart fruit-side-up.
“Don’t try to rush the caramelizing,” she advised. “Give it time. Be patient. That’s always my advice in the kitchen anyway.”
Top it with crème fraîche as “a nice foil to the caramelized apples” and see mom smile.
Another dessert that’s sure to delight: a “bright” and “pretty” fresh fruit tart.
“That’s one of my favorite things to do for Mother’s Day,” said personal chef Lynn Lampe Lindquist of Cook on Call, who teaches at Delaware County Community College and Valley Forge Flowers. “I tend to go toward fruit or citrus.”
She combines lemon curd and pastry cream, topping the tart with glazed berries.
“It should look like a gift. It should look like a little jewel,” Lindquist explained. “It just screams happiness!”
Triple Berry Trifle INGREDIENTS
For cake: 2½ cups all-purpose flour 2¼ teaspoons baking powder 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup buttermilk ¾ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 package instant vanilla pudding 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced ½ pint fresh blueberries ½ pint fresh raspberries
INSTRUCTIONS
For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-by-13-inch pan with pan spray and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and sugar together until combined. Add in eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Do not overmix the batter. Once the batter is smooth, pour into prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool before cutting into cubes and assembling.
To assemble: Have instant pudding made ahead of time. Try replacing milk with heavy cream to give it a lighter and creamier texture. Start by layering the bottom of an 8-by-4-inch glass bowl with half of the vanilla cake cubes. Break apart the pieces as needed to fit. Then spoon 1/3 of the pudding on top of the cake layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries over the pudding layer. Repeat using remaining cake, pudding and fruit. Top with remaining pudding and fruit. Chill and enjoy!