Trifle Crazy

My friend Sue is a Trifle crazy, or is that Trifle crazy? I made a Christmas trifle for her many years ago and she’s always asking for more. When are you going to make trifle for me? Can you make trifle when you visit? What ingredients do you need to make the trifle you’re going to make next time you visit? It just never stops!

So this is for you Sue, a new twist on a Christmas Classic, better late than never! The custard is the same but I used caramelized pears for the fruit and caramel sauce instead of the raspberry sauce I usually use. That stuff’s great and I have trouble not eating spoonful after spoonful of it when I make it. Put these ingredients together and top them with some toasted pistachio nuts and pomegranate seeds and it’s great!

 

Caramelized Pear Trifle

Caramelized Pears

• 2 Tbsps water
• 1/4 cup  sugar
• 4 x Pears, peeled, cut in halves, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp grand Marnier
• zest of one orange

1. In a large skillet, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the sugar until it begins to caramelize. When it reaches a nice golden brown colour, add the pears.
2. Over a high heat, cook the pears for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Pastry Cream

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup  35% cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

1. Mix the sugar and flour in a small bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
2. Heat the milk and cream in a medium size pot. Add the heated cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture slowly so the eggs don’t cook too quickly.
3. Pour the mixture back into the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat at the first sign of boiling. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
4. Strain the cooked pastry cream into a glass or plastic container and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down a plastic film directly on the surface of the hot pastry cream.
5. Let it cool down and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups 35% cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until firm peaks are obtained.

Caramel Sauce

½ cup sugar

1 1/2 cups cream

2 tbsp grand Marnier

Zest and juice of ½ orange

1/8 tsp. baking soda

2 tbs. butter

¾ tsp. Vanilla

·         Place sugar in a heavy bottomed pot and add enough water to dissolve the sugar. Cook over high heat until a warm golden colour is achieved. Brush down the sides as the sugar is caramelizing. Caramelize the sugar.

·         Add the Grand Marnier, orange juice and zest and mix in. Add cream and baking soda, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

·         When the sauce thickens, add butter and vanilla and mix in.

Assembling

16 Amoretti cookies

8 rolled wafers

1 cup pistachio nuts

½ cup pomegranate seeds

1. Reserve about ½ cup of whipped cream for topping the finished trifle.
2. Mix half of the remaining whipped cream with the chilled pastry cream to lighten it. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream to make the pastry cream light and fluffy.
3. Place a spoonful of pastry cream mixture in the bottom of 6 wine glasses.
4. Spoon 1/6 of the pears into each glass. Add a bit of the crumbled Amoretti cookies and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce.
5. Top with another layer of pastry cream and repeat the process
6. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
7. For service, top the finished trifle with the reserved whipped cream and the rolled wafer. Sprinkle with toasted, peeled pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
8. Serve the remaining caramel sauce on the side.

Makes 8 servings