White Chocolate and Gingered Asian Pear Mini Trifles

Recipe

2015 2nd Place Dessert – Cooking with Ohio Wines Competition

Ingredients:

  1. 1 cup can sugar
  2. 1 cinnamon stick
  3. 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
  4. 1 piece (1-inch) ginger root, peeled and sliced into 4 pieces
  5. 1 bottle Breitenbach Dandelion wine
  6. 1 cup water
  7. 3 Asian pears, peeled, cored and quartered
  8. 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
  9. 8 ounces premium white chocolate, chopped
  10. 12 lady finger cookies
  11. 6 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
  12. 3 teaspoons crystallized ginger, chopped

Directions:

  1. In large saucepan, combine sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean pod with seeds, ginger root, wine and water; stirring to combine.
  2. Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
  3. Add pears, cover surface with parchment paper and simmer for 2 hours or until pears are tender.
  4. Use a slotted spoon to remove pears; let sit until slightly cooled.
  5. Increase heat to a medium and continue to cook syrup for 10 more minutes or reduced by half.
  6. Remove from heat and remove cinnamon stick, vanilla pod and ginger pieces. Set syrup aside.
  7. When pears are cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices. Set aside
  8. In small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup cream on medium heat. Add chocolate and stir continuously until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  9. In medium bowl, whip remaining cream until peaks are stiff; fold into chocolate mixture.
  10. Break cookies into bite-size pieces and divide evenly into 6 mini trifle bowls.
  11. Drizzle each with enough syrup to moisten cookies.
  12. Add a layer of pear slices over top of cookie layer; adding a dollop of chocolate cream mixture.
  13. Cover and chill for at least for one hour.
  14. Before serving, drizzle each bowl with remaining syrup, top each with 1 tablespoon of almonds and 1/2 teaspoon crystallized ginger.