From her megawatt smile to her delicious recipes and down-to-earth hosting style, celeb chef Giada De Laurentiis is the definition of sweet. For Valentine’s Day—a day of sweets, treats and a whole lot of love—we looked to the ultimate food lover for a romantic recipe.
Her easy-to-make recipe for individual Strawberry Trifles makes a great breakfast-in-bed, afternoon treat or decadent dessert. Light, fluffy and full of fruit, these single-serving sweets will make your beau fall even more in love with you. Check out the recipe and step-by-step photo gallery below.
Strawberry Trifles by Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 2 servings
What You’ll Need:
1 (1 pound) fresh pound cake
1/3 cup amaretto liqueur
2 amaretto cookies, for garnish
Demerara sugar, for garnish
Marinated strawberries:
1 quart fresh strawberries, halved
1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
Whipped cream:
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
What You’ll Do:
1. In a small shallow casserole dish, toss the strawberries with vinegar and let stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. After the strawberries have marinated, check for sweetness, adding sugar if desired.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, whisk the cream to soft peaks. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. Whip until stiff peaks. Set aside.
3. Using a serrated knife, slice pound cake lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. You will only need 4 slices. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from each cake slice. Line up 2 highball glasses and place 1 cake circle in the bottom of each. Tip: You can also use multiple cake slices to adjust size of circles to your glass of choice.
4. Brush cakes with amaretto liqueur. Add 2 tablespoons of marinated strawberries and spread evenly. Using a different tablespoon, add a large dollop of whipped cream and spread evenly. Add a second layer of cake, pressing down lightly. Brush with amaretto liqueur. Add 2 tablespoons of marinated strawberries and spread evenly.
5. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream, spreading evenly. Use remaining cake, cream and strawberries to create a more humble trifle dish.
6. Grate amaretto cookie on top, sprinkle with sugar and serve.
click through our step-by-step photo gallery below!
Photos by Chris New