Maui shortcake

It's been a very long time since I've posted much of substance, and even longer since I posted regularly.

What's inspiring me now, on the next-to-last day of my vacation, is to share some details about a dessert I invented for someone very dear to me.

Beth and I spent her birthday in Maui. As part of her present, I said I'd invent a dessert for her. She likes chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry shortcake, and, of course, chocolate.  With that in mind, I began to compose something multi-layered and a bit on the extravagant side. I had several days after arriving to ruminate, so I sketched out a few things, sat with it, and planned my shopping list.

Meanwhile, nosing around a local health food store, we came upon this:

It's a container of pieces of locally grown coconut, sweetened and toasted to a crunchy, nutty, heavenly perfection. They were highly addictive.

A day or so after I met this confection, it dawned on me: What if I were to make something like a nut meringue (like the layers of the Marjolaine cake from David Lebovitz's Room for Dessert cookbook), only with coconut instead of hazelnuts and almonds?

Then, what if I were to paint the insides of one layer with chocolate ganache (chocolate thinned to a sticky glaze texture with cream) with my fingers (because why would I use anything else?)

and sandwich layers of strawberry between them, sort of like sneaking some chocolate covered strawberries inside?

Then, what if I were to fashion some stiff chocolate mousse, and make it a little extra bitter with the addition of some cocoa

and make a second layer of that?

Oh, and let's not forget to assemble it...

It looks rather...naked now, no?

So. Let's cover the whole thing with yet more ganache and let it sit overnight to let the flavors mellow and meld together. But not before getting up close...

Twenty four hours later, I decide to whip up some cream with just a tad of sugar and vanilla, heap it atop the Maui shortcake all abstract-like, then arrange some random strawberry slices and toasted coconut on top.

So glad to have incorporated the local flora into the birthday boi's dessert. The birthday boi was none too unhappy, either.

Care for a slice?

Comments

[Mer]

Um, yes I would care for a slice. Seriously.

[Jema Watts, VA/Transcriptionist]

Jill while taking a little break this afternoon from my work-at-home business, E-ssistance, I found your blog while searching for a dessert to make for my son's 14th birthday this Sunday. Yummy! Maui shortcake - I'll run this one by my son. If he doesn't like it maybe I'll make this for Christmas dinner. Do you have a recipe you could send me?