Ambrosia Icebox Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
6 large eggs, at room temperature
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pinch fine salt
3 oranges (or 1cup orange juice)
2 (15 ounce) cans mandarin orange segments, chopped
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons sherry wine (optional)
4 dozen ladyfingers (or Italian style dunking cookies such as Stella d'oro Margherite)

Preparation

Toast the coconut: Preheat oven 375\u00b0F Spread coconut in a thin layer in baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted. Halfway through, remove sheet from oven and toss coconut to mix using a spatula. This is to ensure even toasting. Watch very carefully as coconut can toast quickly towards the end. Set aside to cool.
Make the pineapple curd: Bring 1 cup pineapple juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix well. Very slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, pour hot juice into egg mixture whisking constantly. Do not go too fast or the eggs will scramble. Return mixture to pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it boils and coats back of a spoon. Continue cooking about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter, lemon juice, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Place mixture into a small bowl set over ice to cool, stirring often, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and refrigerate to cool to room temperature.
Make the orange cream: While pineapple curd is cooling, open the cans of mandarin oranges and reserve 6 tablespoons of the juice or syrup. Chop the segments from one full can plus half of the other can, or use your hands to break them into thirds. Set aside. Reserve remaining orange segments for another use.
If using fresh oranges, finely grate the zest from 1 orange and reserve. Juice the rest of the oranges and set the juice aside.
Whip cream, 1 teaspoon of orange extract, vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold chopped mandarin oranges into cream.
In a small bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest, reserved liquid from mandarin oranges, 1/2 teaspoon orange extract and sherry.
Close up a 9 inch springform pan which should be at least 2 inches high (preferably 3 inches, or you can use a 10 inch springform). Arrange ladyfingers around the bottom of the pan so that there is a full even layer. Break the ladyfingers if necessary to plug any holes. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush ladyfingers with the sherry mixture. Place a little less than 1/3 of the pineapple mixture in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Place a little less than 1/3 of the orange cream in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the toasted coconut on top of the orange cream layer. Arrange another layer of ladyfingers and brush lightly with sherry mixture. Continue layering in order given, ending with toasted coconut. Depending on the height of your springform you might have some extra curd and cream. Cover springform with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
To serve, carefully run a thin knife around the edge of the springform and release the ring. Cut into slices.