Fluffy, Sweet & Dreamy Whipped Things for TFF

This week has flown by. I'm gonna tell you the truth...I don't really like going to work. It's not that I don't enjoy working, it's just that I enjoy working for myself...doing things I choose, when I choose. I know most people would...but I actually know some people who don't mind going to work for the man. I suppose it's just that I'm a free spirit...and I don't like to be caged. HA HA HA...okay, I'm making myself laugh now. I mean, it's totally true...but why am I telling you? Probably because it's been an insane week at work which means I haven't had much time to peruse all of your tasty blogs and really immerse myself in them. Luckily I had a few posts half done, so I finished them at the beginning of the week and "scheduled" them to post automatically (love this feature). But, I hadn't picked a Tyler recipe yet, and Friday was closing in. Fast. Too fast! So yesterday, which was actually my only day off this week I started flipping through some Tyler cookbooks and found a fairly quick recipe...that I had the ingredients for, bonus, so I started. But, as days off sometimes go, we decided to surprise the kids by hustling them into the car and going out to eat (Mexican, imagine that...Milanesa de Pollo Torta, yum!!) and to see a movie (UP!...so, so, so good-go see it now). So, I stopped mid-recipe and finished hours later...but it was okay, it's the kind of recipe that allows for such folly. Yes, sometimes I pretend I live in the days of Jane Austen. Strawberry-Lemon Puddings from Dinner at my Place p. 81 by Tyler Florence serves 4 2 c. strawberries, hulled & halved 1 Meyer lemon, juice only (personally, I think this fruit is made up..I've never been able to find one. I used 1/2 lemon, 1/2 orange) 2 Tbs. powdered sugar 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1 c. powdered sugar, plus 1 Tbs. for garnish 1/2 c. store-bought lemon curd although I'm pretty sure you could use homemade ;) 1 store-bought pound cake ditto on the homemade Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tbs. of powdered sugar in a small saucepan; place over medium heat. Cook and stir for 4 - 5 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Remove 4 strawberry halves from saucepan and reserve for garnish. Whip heavy cream in a large mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in the 1 c. powdered sugar and the lemon curd, a little at a time, until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I actually used the toaster oven for this...it worked beautifully and I didn't have to use any gas or heat up the kitchen. Cut pound cake into 1/4" thick slices. Using an inverted 6 oz. ramekin, carefully cut out 8 rounds. (The rounds should fit snugly inside of ramekin itself). My pound cake wasn't big enough, so I put two slices together and cut with a jar the size of the ramekin. No need to worry about it being in 2 pieces, because you can't actually see them once it is assembled. Break the remaining scraps of pound cake into coarse crumbs and toast on a baking sheet in preheated oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. To assemble, start with a layer of lemon cream on the bottom of each of the ramekins, followed by a pound cake round. Next add some strawberries and lemon cream. Add another layer of cake. Drizzle the final cake layers with syrup from the strawberries. Top with a swirl of lemon cream. Sprinkle with toasted pound cake crumbs and garnish with a reserved strawberry half. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve! And there you have it...a lovely, fluffy, sweet and dreamy whipped thing for this Tyler Florence Friday. And believe me when I say that this was divine. I think I'll make this for a special occasion or a party next time, because it looks like a lot of work, but it's not a lot of work...and a taste makes you roll your eyes back into your head. So... Don't forget to head over to Tyler Florence Fridays to see what everybody else cooked up with Tyler today.