Merry & Bright
Three holly, jolly holiday desserts
This season, deck the halls with boughs of holly and stack the dessert table with showstoppers like Black Forest cake, white chocolate mousse trifle and vanilla cheesecakewith thyme-cherry compote.
“We have a magic wand. It takes all of the calories out. You don’t have to worry about it,” joked pastry chef Vanessa Casper of Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.
Served in The Café, “it’s my tried-and-true cheesecake recipe,” she said. “It’s very smooth, and it’s light. It’s not heavy.”
Ginger and cinnamon flavor the crust while thyme complements the compote.
“Thyme is a really friendly herb to introduce into desserts,” explained Casper, whose repertoire includes gingerbread whoopie pies, chocolate peppermint cake and passion fruit panna cotta with champagne gelée.
Her advice: “Invest in some nice plates” or a cake stand to “give some height to your desserts.”
Personal chef Lynn Lampe Lindquist adds ribbons for a festive touch, wrapping her white chocolate mousse trifle “like a gift.”
“You’re giving them a gift of your talents,” said the owner of Cook on Call, also an instructor at Delaware County Community College and Valley Forge Flowers. “It’s just so stunning looking.”
Wow guests with layers of mousse, fresh raspberries and pound cake, which soaks up the Chambord-flavored syrup “very nicely.”
Back at Longwood Gardens surrounded by holiday greenery, Casper offered one last suggestion for sweet baking success.
“Try not to get intimidated. Just read the recipe. A lot of it is following directions,” she described. “It’s like putting together an IKEA piece.”
Compote
Yield: 1 (8-inch) cake,