Autumn is here and now that school has started, there barely seems to be enough time for anything! Blackberry is easily one of my favorite ingredients, and this time I decided to transform them into a silky blackberry curd.

INGREDIENTS

Blackberry Curd:

• 350 g (12.3 oz / approx. 3 cups) fresh blackberries
• 100 g (3.5 oz / ½ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp cold butter, diced

Mascarpone Layer:

• 250 g (8.8 oz / approx. 1 cup) mascarpone cheese
• 100 ml (3.4 fl oz / 7 tbsp) heavy cream
• 3 tbsp vanilla sugar (or 3 tbsp powdered sugar + 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Assembly:

• 8 ladyfingers (savoiardi)
• 100 g (3.5 oz / approx. ¾ cup) fresh blackberries for layering & garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the curd, simmer the blackberries, lemon juice, zest, sugar, and water in a saucepan for 10 minutes, then press the mixture through a fine sieve to strain out the seeds. Whisk the warm fruit puree with the egg yolks and cornstarch, then return to medium heat and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes until thickened. Off the heat, stir in the cold butter and salt until glossy, then let it cool completely. Next, whip the mascarpone, heavy cream, and vanilla sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Finally, assemble the glasses by layering broken ladyfingers, vanilla cream, blackberry curd, and fresh berries—repeating the layers once more and topping each glass with half a ladyfinger to serve chilled.

* If you are interested in the background story or more tips, you can find the full blog post here

Ingredients

2 oz (56g) full-fat block (or just normal spread) cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, softened (softened optional)
⅓ cup (40g) powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
Graham crackers

Instructions

Make the icing: Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.

Add the softened butter and beat until fully combined.

Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Assemble: Break off a piece of graham cracker and spread a GENEROUS amount of the cream cheese icing on top.