2015 2nd Place Dessert – Cooking with Ohio Wines Competition
Ingredients:
- 1 cup can sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
- 1 piece (1-inch) ginger root, peeled and sliced into 4 pieces
- 1 bottle Breitenbach Dandelion wine
- 1 cup water
- 3 Asian pears, peeled, cored and quartered
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 8 ounces premium white chocolate, chopped
- 12 lady finger cookies
- 6 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
- 3 teaspoons crystallized ginger, chopped
Directions:
- In large saucepan, combine sugar, cinnamon, vanilla bean pod with seeds, ginger root, wine and water; stirring to combine.
- Cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Add pears, cover surface with parchment paper and simmer for 2 hours or until pears are tender.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove pears; let sit until slightly cooled.
- Increase heat to a medium and continue to cook syrup for 10 more minutes or reduced by half.
- Remove from heat and remove cinnamon stick, vanilla pod and ginger pieces. Set syrup aside.
- When pears are cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices. Set aside
- 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.
- In medium bowl, whip remaining cream until peaks are stiff; fold into chocolate mixture.
- Break cookies into bite-size pieces and divide evenly into 6 mini trifle bowls.
- Drizzle each with enough syrup to moisten cookies.
- Add a layer of pear slices over top of cookie layer; adding a dollop of chocolate cream mixture.
- Cover and chill for at least for one hour.
- Before serving, drizzle each bowl with remaining syrup, top each with 1 tablespoon of almonds and 1/2 teaspoon crystallized ginger.