Saturday, August 6, 2011

Blueberry Muffin Trifle

A use for leftover blueberry baked goods: blueberry muffins, blueberry bread, blueberry cake, blueberry buckle, blueberry doughnuts, blueberry cupcakes.  Blueberry is one of the most common fruits used in baked goods, so it is a useful default fruit, but one could certainly substitute one's favorite fruit...or...a fruit-based baked good which might have not been that popular with the family...so turn it into a dessert instead!
This recipe is using a standard-sized muffin, so if using a big-box-store-sized-muffin, use half.
Vinegar
Having found Blueberry Vinegar was helpful here, but a few fruit vinegars are available...pomegranate comes to mind...but finding, for example, Dragonfruit Vinegar might be challenging, so a neutral white would work, or match standard apple cider, malt, winish (white, champagne, sherry, red?) with the fruit being used.
-or- go the traditional trifle route and substitute alcohol, recommend Blueberry vodka in this case, for the vinegar.
Yogurt
Again, blueberry yogurt is readily available, but so are other fruit flavors. And, if you have made the muffins from scratch, use plain yogurt and the fruit you used.

1 to 2 different kinds of blueberry baked good, streusal-topped is helpful
5 or 6 squirts whipped cream, approximately 3/4 cup
2 Tablespoons Blueberry vinegar (here, substitute compatible vinegar)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup frosting, suggest vanilla, french vanilla, or lavender
1/2 cup blueberry yogurt
Dried blueberries (used Trader Joe's Crispy Dried Blueberries)

Slice 1/2 standard muffin into 1/4-inch slices
Layer the muffin slices in the bottom of a 6-inchish diameter bowl, moistening muffin slices with dribbles of vinegar, then spritzing with whipped cream.
Press gently the whipping cream/vinegar into the muffin slices to dampen.
Mix the ricotta cheese, couple more spritzes of whipping cream, frosting together.
Spoon over the muffin layer.
Crumble a 1/2 standard muffin over the ricotta mixture.
Spoon the yogurt over.
Decorate with whipping cream, if desired.
Sprinkle more muffin and/or streusal from muffin on top.
Sprinkle with dried fruit pieces