Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cherry Compote:
- 1 pound 5 ounces (600g) frozen pitted cherries
- 1/2 cup kirsch or luxardo liqueur
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Splash of almond extract (optional)
- For the Filling:
- 9 ounces (250g, 1 1/8 cup) mascarpone, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (35g) powdered sugar
- 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup (150g) lemon curd (store-bought)
- 10 ounces (270g) graham crackers
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch tin and line the pan with parchment paper that overhangs the sides on two sides.
- For the cherry compote, place the cherries, liqueur, sugar and lemon juice into a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the fruit softens and releases a lot of juice. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cherries to a heatproof bowl, leaving the syrup in the pan. Continue cooking the syrup until it reduces to about 1 cup.
- Place the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk in a little of the cherry syrup to form a smooth paste. Add this slurry to the cherry syrup in the pan and simmer, stirring, for a couple of minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour the syrup over the fruit, cool slightly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled through.
- For the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium bowl with electric hand beaters whip together mascarpone, powdered sugar, 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, and vanilla until the mixture just starts to hold its shape. Add the lemon curd and continue whisking until the mixture holds soft peaks.
- To assemble the desert spread a thin layer of the lemon cream over the base of the prepared tin. Cover with a layer of graham crackers, breaking them up to cover the base edge to edge. Spread half of the remaining lemon cream and then dollop over 1/3 of the cherry mixture. Repeat the layering a second time and finish with a final layer of biscuits. You’ll have some cherry mixture left over for serving.
- Cover the tin and freeze for at least four hours.
- Just before serving, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks and spread over the dessert. Cut into slices and serve each portion with a spoonful of the remaining compote.
- Store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
This recipe calls for a 9×13-inch pan though I’ve also had success with a high-sided 9×9-inch square pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9