It’s as if Beethoven himself creates a masterpiece dessert of our Moonlight Sonata Chardonnay with raspberry all in a trifle. This delectably light but refreshing blends two amazing ingredients with the whipping cream being the bridge to the chasm between the two. While Beethoven’s masterpiece music is a lengthy 15 minutes of relaxing music when listened to in it’s entirety, it is all the time you need to whip this dessert together with minimal prep work.
Choosing the Moonlight Sonata Chardonnay
When looking at all the wines we have that blend well with light fruity flavors and aromas, the hints of lemongrass and spice and tastes of apple orchard and whiskey barrel appeal to me. I am choosing to use it in this recipe because raspberries can be quite sweet and the whipping cream or cool whip blending with the wine will give it an overall rounding of pleasing of flavors and aromas to the palette.
Now I also am choosing this wine for the label. So many of us these days buy our wine that way. They look at the label and if it appeals to them, they buy it. Not knowing how it will taste. With our club wines, we have tasting notes that help you determine the best pairings. This wine is a great beginning with appetizers as well as main entrée of chicken or fish. When you are choosing a wine, try to match the color with the meat. For example, white meats like chicken, fish or pork go well with white wines. Same goes for red meats like steak and lamb, a great red of cabernet sauvignon or merlot, or even our GSM is perfect for the red meats. But do not let that inhibit your experimenting. Wine is meant to have fun with and enjoy with friends and food. Make a simple Friday or Saturday night backyard gathering with friends more of an event with some simple appetizers, food on the grill; all while the kids run around and wear off energy!
Wine Clubs are for Everyone!
Now our wine is exclusive for our members of our club, but come on in! Our welcome mat is always out and the door is always open. Be ready to try some new wines that you perhaps, didn’t initially think you would like. Our wine club is here to expand the palettes of everyone, including beer drinkers! Did you know that a glass of red wine a night has the ability to make your heart healthier? No? Go look it up
Time for Dessert!
When it is time for dessert, jazz it up and have some fun in your kitchen. However, there isn’t a need to slave over the hot stove for long periods of time. This amazingly delicious dessert also offers an elegance that matches the music of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and the Chardonnay we use in the recipe. In fact, have some cultural fun and put that music on as a way to usher everyone back to the table to enjoy this piece of artwork.
Moonlight Sonata Raspberry Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 angel food cake cut or pulled into 1″ pieces
Raspberry Chardonnay
- 1 cup Chardonnay: I chose our Moonlight Sonata Chardonnay
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Whipped Cream*
- 1 ¾ cup heavy whipping cream (415ml)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5ml)
*Or just use Cool Whip!
Instructions
Raspberry Chardonnay
- Combine the Chardonnay and ¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir.
- Bring mixture to a slow boil and cook until liquid is reduced to about just ½ cup.
- Remove from heat and add raspberries, stir to combine. Set aside and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare your whipped cream.
Trifle Preparation
- To prepare trifles, gently press angel food cake pieces into the bottom of 6 trifle glasses. Other options are stemless wine glasses and mason jars, or for more elegance a wine glass itself.
- Layer with whipped cream, and then top with raspberry sauce.
- Top with another layer of angel food cake pieces,
- Repeat the layers with a final topping of whipped cream.
- Top off with fresh raspberries and even some dark chocolate pieces, if desired, and serve immediately.
Don’t forget to include a glass of the wine itself to compliment the dessert and wash it all down.
Notes
*start by cutting only ½ of your angel food cake and then cutting more if needed. Remember our eyes are larger than our tummies (or in this case our trifle glasses).
The angel food cake, raspberry chardonnay sauce, and whipped cream can all be made in advance. However the recommendation is to not make the whipped cream more than a day in advance, which is why Cool Whip works amazingly well. Please note the trifles themselves should not be assembled until just before serving, otherwise they may become soggy.