Mother's Day dessert

What a gorgeous dessert to make for Mother's Day. It's make ahead which everyone loves. Admittedly it is a tad time consuming but worthwhile things often take a little more time. Pistachio meringue discs are layered with a lemon curd and whipped cream filling, white chocolate and strawberries. Then this decadent, sexy dessert is left to mellow in the fridge to allow the meringue layers to get soft and cake-like. This is a perfect dessert for Mother's Day, birthday or any celebrations in the spring and summer months.

torte pics by Cory Howe Photography

pistachio, white chocolate and lemon curd torte

LEMON CURD

6 oz (170g) butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup lemon juice

4 eggs

PISTACHIO MERINGUES

8 egg whites

2 cups sugar, additional

2 cups shelled pistachio nuts, very finely chopped*

FILLING

4 cups whipping cream

yellow food coloring

12 0z (340g) white chocolate, chopped                 

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 cups sliced strawberries

WHITE CHOCOLATE CURLS

3 oz (85g) white chocolate, chopped

To make the lemon curd, place butter, sugar and juice in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved; remove from heat. Whisk in eggs, whisking constantly. Stir constantly over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Strain into bowl. Cover and chill until completely cold.

To make the pistachio meringues, heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Trace two, 8-inch (20cm) circles on 2 pieces of parchment (baking) paper. Place paper on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a large, clean bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in pistachio nuts. Divide mixture evenly between 4 circles. Spread to fill circles. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly brown and set; cool completely on baking sheets.

To make the filling, whip cream in a large bowl until soft to stiff peaks form. Fold in lemon curd. Separate whipped cream mixture into 3 separate bowls adding some extra to one bowl, this bowl won’t have color added to it. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to one bowl; mix to combine to a golden yellow. Add a little less yellow food coloring to a second bowl; mix to combine to a pale yellow.

Combine chocolate and melted butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate is just melted.

To assemble torte, carefully remove a pistachio meringue disc on a cake plate, spread with some uncolored whipped cream lemon curd filling. Top with 1 cup of sliced strawberries. Drizzle with some melted chocolate mixture. Add a pistachio meringue disc. Repeat layering twice more using all the strawberries and chocolate mixture but leaving about 1 cup of uncolored whipped cream lemon curd mixture; set aside. Finish with fourth pistachio meringue disc. Spread reserved, uncolored whipped cream lemon curd  mixture around bottom of torte. Spread palest yellow whipped cream lemon curd mixture around remaining edge of torte. Spread darkest yellow whipped cream lemon curd mixture over top of torte. Cover carefully and chill 8 hours or overnight.  

To make white chocolate curls, line a small loaf pan with tin foil. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour into prepared pan. Chill for 3 hours or until set. Using foil, lift chocolate from pan and peel away foil. Use a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate curls along edge of set chocolate block; lift onto top of cake using a skewer. Decorate cake with chocolate curls just before serving. Cut cake into wedges to serve. Serves 8.

* A food processor works great for chopping nuts to a powder-like consistency.