Dessert Recipes - Almond Redcurrant Strata Recipe

Ingredients

• 200 g/7 oz/1 small packet of almond biscuits (cookies), crushed

• 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup butter, melted

• 225 g/8 oz redcurrants, stripped from their stalks

• 120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup water

• 30 ml/2 tbsp powdered gelatin

• 4 eggs, separated

• 350 g/12 oz/1 1/2 cups quark

• 75 g/3 oz/1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 300 ml/1 1/4 cups double (heavy) cream

• Almond essence (extract)

• 7.5 ml/1 1/2 tsp arrowroot

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Method:

1. Mix the biscuit crumbs into the butter and press into the base of a 25 cm/l0 in spring form cake tin (pan). Chill until firm.

2. Place the redcurrants in a saucepan with 30 ml/2 tbsp of the water and cook gently for about 5 minutes until tender.

3. Place 60 ml/4 tbsp of the remaining water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over. Leave to soften for 5 minutes, then stand the bowl in a pan of hot water and stir until dissolved (or dissolve briefly in the microwave).

4. Beat the egg yolks with the quark and 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup of the sugar until smooth. Whip the cream and fold half into the quark mixture.

5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the quark mixture with a metal spoon. Put half the mixture in a separate bowl.

6. Stir half the redcurrants into one of the bowls, then half the dissolved gelatin. Spread the mixture over the biscuit base.

7. Mix the remaining gelatin into the remaining quark mixture with almond essence to taste. Spoon over the redcurrant mixture and chill until set.

8. Blend the remaining water with the arrowroot in a saucepan with the remaining sugar and redcurrants. Heat gently, stirring, until thickened and clear. Leave until cold.

9. Remove the spring form tin and place the dessert on a serving plate. Spoon over the thickened redcurrants and decorate with the reserved whipped cream.