Raspberry Trifle with Elderflower Cream and Danish Macaroons
Warm weather during the summertime in Scandinavia can be unpredictable: one day it’s chilly and then the next day can be hot, almost like San Francisco. When the forecast called for sunshine, though, I could always be sure to find my mother in-law, Hanne, out in her summer cottage on the outskirts of Copenhagen. She tended to the flower beds and many raspberry bushes, while her husband always kept the grass well-trimmed.
The raspberry bushes were the first thing my kids would run for immediately when we’d visit, sometimes even forgetting to stop and give Hanne or her husband a proper hug or hello. Hanne didn’t mind the invasion at all; the bushes would produce so much each year that she welcomed anyone who could help with the picking.
Each summer, Hanne would use the berries to make endless jars of jam and often the quintessential Danish dessert, the impossible-to-pronounce rød grød med fløde (red pudding with cream). However, if a special day was to be celebrated, Hanne would always spoil her guests by whipping up another of her favorite desserts: raspberry trifle with elderflower cream and almond macaroons.
Trifles, so I’ve noticed, always seem to be a crowd pleaser, and Hanne’s was no exception. The layering of the ingredients allows for all kinds of contrasts in textures and flavors to occur. What made Hanne’s trifle like no other were her homemade macaroons. Not at all like a French macaroon, Danish macaroons are similar to almond tuiles, and hers are baked in a free-form shape and broken into pieces when layered into the trifle.
Later this week, I’ll be heading back to Copenhagen, but this time the visit won’t be quite the same. Hanne passed away just a few months ago, her summer cottage is now for sale and no one is there to care for the raspberry bushes like she did. She will be missed, but I will carry on making her raspberry trifle in sweet memory of her.
Photo: Stephanie Gagnon[tasty-recipe id="2820"]
More recipes by Nichole Accettola from the Kantine Kitchen:
Beer-Braised Lamb Stew with Winter Vegetables and Kale Cream
Swedish Cinnamon KnotsThree-Grain Porridge with Dried Rhubarb, Strawberries and Tarragon Sugar