Double Chocolate Pear Trifle Food

CHOCOLATE AND PEAR TRIFLE

Steps:

• Cut the ready-made chocolate pound cake into 1-inch cubes.
• You should have about 8 cups.
• Set aside.
• To prepare the custard: In a medium size heavy saucepan, stir the sugar, flour, ground nutmeg and salt.
• Gradually stir in the milk, egg yolks and vanilla extract.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
• Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.
• Remove from heat.
• Pour into a bowl.
• Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
• To prepare the pears: Stir the wine, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon peel, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon in large skillet.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.
• Add the sliced pear wedges to wine mixture, stir gently to coat.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.
• Simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pears are tender.
• Remove the pears from the skillet with slotted spoon and discard any cooking liguid.
• Cover and refrigerate the pears for 4-24 hours.
• Putting the trifle together: Place half of the chocolate pound cake cubes in the bottom of glass trifle bowl.
• Pour half of the cooled custard sauce over the cake and half of the spiced pears over the custard.
• Repeat layering the trifle with remaining chocolate pound cake cubes, custard sauce and pears.
• Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
• Right before you are ready to serve the trifle, remove from refrigerator, and garnish top of trifle with whipped cream, grated chocolate, and maraschino or candied cherries.

WHITE CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU TRIFLE WITH SPICED PEARS

Steps:

• For spiced pears:
• Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes. Transfer liquid with pears to large bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to generous 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain into 2-cup measuring cup; discard spices in strainer. Cool. Cover and chill pears and pear syrup until cold.
• For mousse:
• Combine white chocolate, pear brandy, and 1/4 cup water in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy). Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Pears and mousse can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• For trifle assembly:
• Cut pears lengthwise in half and remove cores and stems; cut halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Arrange ladyfingers, rounded sides down, in single layer in bottom of 12-cup trifle dish (about 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep), covering bottom completely (using about 15 ladyfingers). Drizzle 5 tablespoons pear syrup evenly over ladyfingers. Using small offset spatula, spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over ladyfingers, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible (center of mousse layer will be thin). Starting at outer edges of dish, place pear slices in single layer with curved edges against sides of dish atop mousse, covering completely. Repeat layering of ladyfingers, syrup, mousse, and pears 2 more times. Cover with fourth layer of ladyfingers (some ladyfingers and pear slices may be left over). Drizzle ladyfingers evenly with 5 tablespoons syrup. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate trifle and remaining pear syrup separately.
• Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups whipping cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup pear syrup and beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, transfer cream to large pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes all over top of trifle, mounding slightly in center. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Garnish with chocolate curls. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.
• Sift powdered sugar over trifle just before serving.
• * Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.
• ** Available in the bakery or bread section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

CHRISTMAS PEAR & CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU TRIFLE

Steps:

• For the cake, melt the chocolate and butter together, then cool. Meanwhile, heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and butter and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin with baking paper.
• Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until very pale and thick, about 5 mins. Fold in the chocolate mix using a large metal spoon. Put the egg whites and a pinch of salt into another bowl and, with clean beaters, whisk until you have medium peaks. Fold this gently but thoroughly into the chocolate mix with your metal spoon, then spoon into the tin and bake for 1½ hrs until risen all over. Insert a skewer into the middle of the tin to test; it should come out with just a few damp crumbs but no wet mix. The cake will sink once it cools. Can be frozen up to 1 month ahead.
• While the cake cooks, put the pears, vanilla pod and 1 litre water into a saucepan. Weigh the pears down under the surface with a small plate, then simmer for 20 mins, covered, until tender. Leave to cool in the liquid if you have time. Cut each pear into 6 long slices, then remove the stalk and the core. Can be cooked up to a week ahead and kept chilled in some of their poaching liquid.
• For the mascarpone layer, half-fill a medium saucepan with water, then bring to a simmer. Put the yolks, sugar and 6 tbsp of the Marsala into a large bowl, sit it over the just-simmering water, then whisk for 5 mins until the mixture is thick and holds a trail for a few secs. Put the mascarpone into a bowl, beat with 2 tbsp more Marsala to loosen, then whisk in the egg mix in 2 batches, until smooth, thick and light. Can be made ahead and kept in the fridge. Keep no longer than 2 days in total.
• You're now ready to assemble the trifle. Cut the cake in half - it will be squidgy, so don't worry if it breaks up. Spoon some of the mascarpone layer into the bottom of a dish, then top with a few pears and a sprinkling of grated chocolate. Put half of the cake on top, then sprinkle with a little of the remaining Marsala and coffee. Spoon more of the mascarpone over, then top with more pears and more chocolate. Top this with the next piece of cake, spoon over more Marsala and coffee, then spoon the remaining mascarpone mix over the top. Finish with the remaining pears. Chill for at least 2 hrs, or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, scatter with the last of the grated chocolate.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE TRIFLE

Steps:

• Put the custard and chocolate in a saucepan. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has completely melted into the custard. Cover the surface with cling film to stop the custard forming a skin, then cool.
• Sit the brownies in a trifle bowl and mix together the coffee with the 1 tbsp Irish cream liqueur. Drizzle all over the brownies. Use a rolling pin or saucepan to gently bash the bag of Maltesers a few times to crush a little, then sprinkle about three-quarters over the brownies. Spoon the cooled chocolate custard all over the top, then cover and chill.
• Make the final layer by combining the cream and 100ml Irish cream liqueur in a bowl. Sift over the icing sugar, then whip until soft peaks form. Cover and chill until you're ready to serve.
• To serve, give the cream a quick mix, then spoon on top of the chocolate custard. Scatter over the last few crushed Maltesers to decorate.