Mothers Day 'Mess'

I wanted to make a special Mother's Day lunch for my extra special mother, and when I saw a recipe for a 'Muddled Mother's Day Mess' (think 'Eton Mess', kind of like a trifle) on the Thermomix Recipe Community, I knew I just had to make it for dessert! The only problem was that if I made a dessert full of cream and sugar, I wouldn't be able to have any... So I decided to 'tweak' the recipe to make it gluten free, dairy free and naturally sweetened. I hope mum doesn't mind - but just in case she does, I've also made her a Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake! :)

I just want to say a quick word about my mum - she is the most amazing cook, and taught us from a very young age to experiment in the kitchen, and never minded the messes we made or the fact that half the things we 'invented' were quite inedible. It's funny, when I was a kid I'd get quite annoyed with mum wanting to 'tweak' recipes to use what she had in the fridge or cupboard - I just wanted to follow the recipe exactly as it was written! Well, mum, thanks for all that early training in 'tweaking' - it's come in really handy!! And I've made a lovely 'Mess' just for you... (I've always been good at making messes, right mum? lol)

Here's my version:

1. First make a Sponge Cake. 

I used this recipe for a Gluten Free Almond Sponge Cake. It's actually even grain free if you use arrowroot or tapioca starch instead of the cornstarch! I halve the sugar and use Rapadura, and add a little green stevia powder. If you can't have nuts, make a plain gluten free cake like this one. Cool the cake, then slice into cubes.

While the cake is cooking, make the other layers.

2. Passionfruit Cashew Cream:

    (If you can't have nuts, change this to a rice milk vanilla custard)

    Blend in the Thermomix for 1 minute on speed 9:
- 150g raw cashews
- 200g water
- dash of pure maple syrup or raw honey

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Stir in:

- the pulp of 4 passionfruit

    Remove to a bowl and refrigerate. (It will thicken as it cools.)

3. Raspberry Coulis

    Weigh into Thermomix bowl:

- 200g raspberries

- 100g Rapadura

- juice of 1/2 a lemon

    Cook at 90 degrees, 6 minutes, speed 4.

    Pour into a strainer over a bowl to remove seeds, then refrigerate.

4. Lemon/Lime Butter

    Grind for 30 seconds on speed 9:

- 60g Rapadura

    Scrape down sides with spatula, insert butterfly, and add:

- 1/4 tsp green stevia powder

- juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes

- 80g coconut oil

- 2 eggs

    Cook for 8 minutes, 80 degrees, speed 3.  The lemon butter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

5. To Assemble: 

Place a third of the cubes of sponge cake into large glass serving bowl, or several individual glasses. Drizzle with a little coulis. Dollop with some Lime Butter and Passionfruit Cream. Repeat layering a couple more times, until all ingredients are used, ending with cream. (Swirl a little of the coulis through the cream on top with a skewer.) Garnish with raspberries. Serve cold.