Ode to Kako

Kako reminded me in a comment that a few of my posts have directly involved her, so Kako, this one's for you . . . A few months ago, Kako recommended a cookbook to me called A Pinch of Salt Lake, currently out of print, but you can buy it here. I've tried quite a few of their recipes and have loved them all. The Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle though is my favorite so far. My mom used to make trifle a lot when I was growing up so it brings back some childhood memories, not to mention that it's so pretty when you layer it in a trifle bowl. It's relatively simple to make and assembles fast (I always love recipes that look a lot more complicated than they actually are). Here's the recipe:

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 angel food cake, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch cubes (I make mine out of a box, it's a lot better than the ready made ones)
• 2 quarts fresh strawberries or peaches, thickly sliced, or raspberries (I used strawberries and then garnished with raspberries)
• 3-4 Tbsp sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp Amaretto liqueur (*Optional)
• Whole berries and mint leaves for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Add sour cram, vanilla and almond extract. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cake cubes and coat well.

Thickly slice the strawberries, then add the sugar and amaretto; mix well. Layer into a trifle bowl, starting with a layer of strawberries, then a layer of cake/ cram cheese mixture. Continue layering, ending with strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill well before serving. Garnish.