Name: White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle With Spiced Pears
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 750-ml bottle dry white wine; 2 cups pear juice or pear nectar; 1 1/4 cups sugar; 12 whole green cardamom pods, crushed in resealable plastic bag with mallet; 4 1-inch-diameter rounds peeled fresh ginger (each about 1/8 inch thick); 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half; 5 large firm but ripe Anjou pears (3 to 31/4 pounds), peeled; 7 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped; 1/3 cup poire Williams (clear pear brandy); 1/4 cup water; 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 1 8- to 8.8-ounce container mascarpone cheese*; 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream; 3 3-ounce packages soft ladyfingers,** separated; 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream; 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger; White chocolate curls; 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

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White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle with Spiced PearsCon Poulos

To show off the layers, use a 12-cup trifle dish, a footed glass bowl measuring about 8 inches across and 5 inches deep.

TEST-KITCHEN TIP:

To make chocolate curls, place one 3 1/2-ounce bar of high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina) on a plate and microwave on high at 5-second intervals just until slightly softened, but not hot or beginning to melt. Using vegetable peeler and starting at one long edge of the chocolate bar, shave white chocolate into curls. If the shaved chocolate breaks into small shards, it's not soft enough, so place in microwave again for a few seconds. If the chocolate becomes too soft, let it stand at room temperature or chill briefly until it firms up a bit.

Recipe notes

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