Pairs with Stellaport
Prep Time: 40-45 min (plus cherry steeping time)
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 20 to 25 Lady Fingers
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 14 oz. mascarpone cheese, cold from fridge
  • ¾ cup cherry juice
  • ¼ cup Elephant Island Cherry Port
  • 1½ cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips (100g)
  • Cocoa powder for dusting

Method

  1. 2-24 hours before: Combine cherry juice and port with pitted cherries and set aside.
  2. Combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Gently cook over simmering water (bain marie), whisking constantly until the mixture is thickened, pale in color, and reaches approximately 170°F (about 13 minutes). Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  3. While the egg mixture is cooling, whip ¾ cup of the heavy cream with 1 tsp. vanilla.
  4. Combine mascarpone cheese and egg mixture, then gently fold in whipped cream. Set aside.
  5. Strain cherries from Cherry Juice & Port mixture and roughly chop the cherries. Reserve liquid in a shallow dish.
  6. Melt chocolate chips over the same simmering water pot. Remove from heat when fully melted, then blend in the remaining ¼ cup of whipping cream. Combine with half of the mascarpone cheese mixture.
  7. Dip each lady finger in reserved cherry liquid and place on a rectangle platter or long dish. Top with chocolate mascarpone mixture, then cherries, followed by a second layer of cookies, then plain mascarpone mixture. Dust with cocoa powder.
  8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Wine Pairing

Enjoy with Elephant Island Port.