This dessert has been inspired by Turkey, and has been totally made up by me in an attempt to express those flavours closely associated with that country. Ahhhhh … Turkey, the gateway between two continents. I wish I can say I have been there to personally savour the sights and smells, but alas! I have not. What I believe to be the sights and smells of Istanbul lives only in my imagination, from what I have read in books and the like. The same goes for Morocco. My bestfriend Claire and I spend a lot of time dreaming up holidays there; its been going on for years now and we have still not set foot in either country. Heh.
I take my cue from Turkish Delight, and from sweet confections like Baklava. I was just sitting in my livingroom one day talking to Claire on Skype when I got to thinking … I should create a dessert that reflects the flavours of these two countries. I immediately thought of rosewater and rose scented desserts, sweet teas, bright green pistachios, spices and fresh fruit. From fruit my thoughts drifted to pomergranate and it was my good fortune to actually come by lots of them at the supermarket this week. Good timing.
This dessert is particularly elegant in presentation but is pretty simple to put together. It’s exactly like making a classic tiramisu, just minus the eggs. All that is generally required is for you to whip up some cheese and cream, dunk a few biscuits in syrup and that is pretty much it. The sweetness from the pomegranate syrup mingled with the tart pomegranate seeds and the creaminess from the marscapone creates a very nice balance of flavours.
Ingredients : (makes 4)
- 1 large pomegranate, seeds removed
- 16 – 20 sponge fingers or vanilla wafers (depending on how big your bowl is)
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 220 mls whipping cream
- 120 g powdered sugar
- 225 g mascarpone
- 225 mls thickened cream
- 1 tbsp rosewater
- 2 tbsp vanilla sugar (optional)
- pink sugar floss or fresh rose petals for garnish.
** Top tip : Pomegranates have a dendency to bleed out all over your hands as you try to extract those luscious ruby jewels inside. So I read somewhere that doing this under water will help. So submerge the fruit in the sink or bowl filled with tap water and dig away.
Directions:
1. Simmer pomegranate juice on low heat in a small pan. Add some sugar if you like it sweet. If you do not have pomegranate juice then you can use about 100 mls pomegranate syrup diluted in 100 mls water, and simmer that instead with some sugar. Measurements don’t really matter here because this solution will only be used to dunk biscuits in. Then take it off the heat to steep (covered) while you prepare the rest of your components.
2. Place some marscapone and some thickened cream in a mixing bowl. Beat together until well incorporated. Add a sachet or two of vanilla sugar along with powdered sugar. Taste test to adjust the sweetness to your liking.
3. Add the rosewater and whip up the cream with the rosewater until soft peaks form. Set aside. There really isn’t a recipe here, its all about adjusting the taste to your liking so remember to keep tasting as you go along. Careful with the rosewater tho, for less is more here. Too much and you might feel like you are eating perfume.
4. Place the marscapone cream in a piping bag.
5. Soak the sponge fingers in the pomegranate juice. Then break up into chunks and line the bottom of the dessert glass. Ladle over some of the pomegranate juice. Now pipe in the rosewater marscapone cream, and then sprinkle some pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with pomegranate juice. Keep layering with more marscapone cream, biscuits and pomegranate seeds until you fill the glass.
6. Chill in the fridge for a good 4 – 8 hrs before serving. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh rose petals. Some crushed pistachio nuts and pink sugar floss would add some flourish (if you have any on hand).The best place to get sugar floss would be at a fairground I think … haha … and lucky me there is one right outside the Royal Palace this week . Think of this sort of like a Turkish-esque tiramisu. It is simply delicious. R didn’t think so tho, but he’s funny like that. Sigh.
Well I do hope you give this a try and stay tuned to my blog for more dining and baking ideas. Until next time …
~ EnjOY!! ~
4 comments
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Sarah Volpe
November 1, 2012 at 12:36 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Beautiful as always Viv. I’ll never forget that trifle you made for our Xmas in July (Oh your poor bowl!) I love trifle like pudding, homemade tiramisu being my favourite. What I think is really lovely about this is the pomegranate red colours, this would make a really nice pudding for a Xmas dinner!! it’s not labour intensive but full of creamy goodness! Yum!
bubviv
November 1, 2012 at 1:22 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Oh yes, the infamous trifle at your party! Haha. I really should feature a good ‘ol traditional English Sherry & Fruit Trifle on my blog, me thinks.
claire
December 30, 2012 at 7:31 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
i still think we should go to Morroco… just for the food… and hashish 😛
bubviv
January 1, 2013 at 5:01 pm (UTC 1) Link to this comment
Heh …