Roasted Pear and Amaretto Trifle

WRS President Ruth Haring made this dessert for the Hunt Breakfast on November 3, 2018.  Many people asked for the recipe.   In the interest of education for all, here is the  recipe.

Roasted Pear and Amaretto Trifle

From Bon Appetit, December 2001

            This trifle sounds daunting, but it just has several steps and the final putting it all together is fun and rewarding.  This is the original recipe which uses ladyfingers, I substituted a pound cake (the recipe I used follows).  Basically, you make a pound cake (can be made up to 2 days ahead), roast the pears and make the pastry cream (can be made up to 1 day ahead), and finally put the whole thing together on the final day.  Trifles were traditional English desserts, this is a modern dressed up version.

 Pastry Cream

Combine cream and milk in medium saucepan; bring to simmer.  Remove from heat.  Whisk sugar, egg yolks, flour, amaretto, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until smooth (mixture will be thick and pasty).  Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture.  Return mixture to saucepan.  Whisk over medium heat until pastry cream boils, thickens, and is smooth, about 6 minutes.  Transfer pastry cream to bowl.  Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream; refrigerate overnight.

Pears

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.  Toss pear halves, 1/3 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Place pears, cut side down, on a heavy large rimmed baking sheet; pour sugar mixture from bowl over pears.  Roast pears until tender and golden brown in spots, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes.  Cool.  Cut pears into ½ inch pieces; place in a bowl along with any juices from the baking sheet. (Pears can be made a day ahead.  Cover and chill.)

Trifle

Arrange 13 to 14 ladyfingers in the bottom of an 8” diameter, 3 quart trifle bowl, trimming to fit tightly.  (or arrange ½” cubes of pound cake)  Sprinkle with ½ cup of the crushed amaretti cookies, then dot with ¼ cup of fruit spread (it helps to heat it up a bit).  Top with 1 cup of roasted pears.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of brandy and 1 tablespoon of amaretto over.  Spread 1 cup pastry cream over.  Repeat this layering twice more: ladyfingers (or pound cake), amaretti cookies, fruit spread, pears, liquor, and pastry cream.  Finally top with the remaining ladyfingers and the last tablespoons of brandy and amaretto.  Spread remaining pastry cream over the top and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours (but may be overnight).

Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until peaks form.  Spread 1 ½ cups whipped cream over the top of the trifle to the edges like you were sealing the trifle.  You can add whipped cream rosettes around the top if you wish.  Finally, sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top.

 Orange Almond Sour Cream Pound Cake

from Paula Deen’s Holiday Baking 2018

             Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray (or butter and flour) a 12 cup Bundt pan.  In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, zest, and almond extract with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 -4 minutes, and stopping to scrape sides of bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In another large bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda.  With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined.  Stir in sour cream and orange juice.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.  Cut into ½ inch cubes for trifle.

This recipe made more than enough pound cake for a trifle.  It was almost enough for two.  You can cube your cake and freeze half of them for another time.

Submitted by Ruth Haring, WRS President  November 2018