Summer has a flavor and it's bright, tangy, fresh, creamy and AH-mazing.This recipe is inspired by a delicious classic, Lemon Meringue Pie and anything with a molten center, hot or cold. I used a combination of homemade and store bought ingredients, along with some fresh picked and homegrown delights like the Mulberries, scratch made Lemon Curd and mint from my herb garden. The cakes are a simple store bought boxed variety of French Vanilla, with the freshly picked mulberries nestled in the bottom of each one.
The mulberries have a fleeting existence, subject to the elements of wind and nature, the birds, who quickly make light work of the sweet ripened berries, that will fall at the slightest touch when ready to enjoy. My youngest Bronwyn assisted in gathering the berries from our backyard, which are a part of the breadfruit and fig family and grown in China for its leaves, which are the only variety of leaf a Silkworm will eat! Mulberries provide an array of noteworthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These gems contain Vitamin C and K, iron, potassium, fiber, polyphenols and anthocyanins giving their brilliant dark red color, plus rutin and myracetin, which are both excellent compounds for reducing cancer risks.
The sweet tang of the curd is a first time for me, inspired by a Lemon Curd recipe from a popular site. The icing is of the whipped variety, a specialty item from the grocer, favored for its icing consistency, but without the sickly sweet taste of some traditional icings. The whipped icing helps to keep this recipe 'light', in taste and mouthfeel.
The family received the recipe well, as did I. They are easy enough to make for a special dinner dessert or as a great bring-along to your next cookout, when the opportunity permits.