2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar

- In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the blueberries with the sugar. Cook over low heat until all the berries have popped and the juices come out; Use the back of a spoon to squish the berries if needed.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl and discard the solids. Add the rest of the blueberries into this blueberry syrup and toss to coat the berries well. They will look and taste brilliant ! :-)

Herme' Lemon Cream
adapted from Pierre Hermé's Desserts

makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
zest from 2 lemons
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 1/2 lemons)
5 ounces butter, cut into 1 inch pieces, softened but not melting (pic 5)

- Zest the lemons. Combine with the sugar with your fingers. (pic 2,3)
- Create a bain marie by placing a saucepan of water over heat to simmer and placing a metal bowl unto the pan so its bottom does not touch the water. Combine the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers and add to the metal bowl.
- Add the lemon sugar to the metal bowl with the eggs and lemon juice. Whisk and cook the mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly,to prevent the eggs from cookinng until the cream reaches 180 degrees (pic 4)
- Once the cream is thickened - you should be able to make tracks in the mixture with your whisk - take the cream off the heat and strain it into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Let the cream rest for a bit until it cools to about 140 degrees. (If your zester is not very fine, you might want to strain the mixture)
- Add in the butter pieces a few at the time and combine on high speed. Once all of the butter has been added, let the mixture combine for 2-3 minutes longer to ensure the mixture is perfectly smooth. It is the addition of butter that changes this recipe from a simple lemon curd to a rich, satiny-smooth cream. (pic 6)
- Once the cream is finished pour it into a container and let it chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour before assembly.

Herme' Lemon Cream and Berries Verrine
Serves 3-4

- one recipe of blueberry topping above
- one recipe of Herme' lemon cream above
- 1/2 pint strawberries cut bite zize

- In a clear cup (I used a champagne glass) start with a layer of strawberries, follow with a big dollop of lemon cream and top it with the blueberry topping.  Chill and serve. 
- I made some heart chips with melted Valhrona dark chocolate, whilst they add a surprising crunchy-bittersweet-chocolaty twist the berries and lemon cream are just as gorgeous without. J'ai l'eau a la bouche en y re-pensant :-)

I wanted to make a Tiramisu Buche De Noel, but the buche fell apart... So Santa ended up sitting on top of the Tiramisu in a glass this year :) 



The Tiramisu recipe is here. Next time I think I'll skip the eggs and just use mascarpone, coffee, liqueur and some powder sugar to keep the cream stiffer hence able to hold the lady fingers logs together better for the Buche de Noel...

To fit the lady fingers in the glass just cut them to size at one end, then place them around the glass  in alternate concentric circles like flower petals. Starting with the outer most circle, place a lady finger at the noon, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 o'clock positions. For the second inner circle, place the lady fingers at the 3, 5, and 7 o'clock positions, and finally place one in the middle for the 3rd inner circle.  Spoon the mascarpone mixture into the glass and cover the top with shaved Valhorna chocolate.  Refrigerate for a few hours until ready to serve.