STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TRIFLE

Ingredients

For the crème anglaise

1½ cups milk

1½ cups heavy cream

2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise

1 tablespoon Vanilla Dark Balsamic Vinegar

7 large egg yolks

8 tablespoons sugar

1 ounce Grand Marnier

For the shortcake

3 cups self-rising flour

3 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

1 cup milk

For the berries

2 pounds ripe strawberries

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon Strawberry Dark Balsamic Vinegar

8-10 ounces Grand Marnier

Directions

Make crème anglaise: Combine milk and cream in a 4-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Scrape vanilla beans into cream and then add scraped beans to the pot. Bring milk mixture to a simmer. Stir a few times, being careful not to let it boil over. Remove cream from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together yolks, sugar, Vanilla Dark Balsamic Vinegar and Grand Marnier. Carefully and slowly whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Pour combined mixture back into saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 to 6 minutes. Strain thickened custard through a fine mesh sieve into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on top of custard and chill.

Make the shortcake: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. In bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine flour mixture with butter and mix until crumbly. Add milk and mix gently. Don’t overmix. Once dough comes together, turn out onto a floured surface and lightly knead, folding dough into itself until almost smooth. Roll out dough to ¾-inch thick and cut out with round biscuit cutter slightly smaller than the mouth of the mason jars being used. Place rounds onto greased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Prep strawberries while shortcake bakes. When done, remove from oven and let cool.

Make the strawberries: Rinse berries and pat dry. Remove hulls and slice. Place sliced berries into a bowl and toss gently with sugar, Strawberry Dark Balsamic Vinegar and Grand Marnier. Macerate for an hour or so at room temperature, tossing occasionally.

To assemble trifle: Slice shortcake rounds into three layers each. In 10 ounce, wide-mouth Mason jar, layer with shortcake, followed by crème anglaise, then macerated strawberries. Repeat one more time.