VERY BERRY TRIFLE
Ingredients
7fl oz. Port
wine
7fl oz. Red wine
(dry, not sweet)
1/2 c. Water
2 tbsp. Lemon zest
1/3 c. Sugar
1 Star anise
1 Cinnamon stick
4 Large, ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered
7oz. Fresh cranberries
1 pint Fresh raspberries
9oz. +/- Angel food cake
1lb. +/- Fresh custard (lemon works very nicely!)
For the topping:
2 oz. Port
1
1 oz. Dried cranberries
½ pint Whipping cream
(heavy or light, your choice)
½ tsp. Vanilla extract
Powdered (confectioner's) sugar to taste
2 tbsp. Toasted pecans, roughly chopped.
Directions
• Put the port, red wine, water, lemon rind, sugar, star anise and cinnamon stick into a saucepan large enough to hold the quartered pears in a single layer. Bring to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes.
• Add the pears and poach until they are tender (15 to 30 minutes, depending on their ripeness - keep an eye on them) Turning them over will help you track how they're coming along.
• Test with a fork to see if they are cooked. (If you can, leave them in the liquid overnight. The flavors will pull together and deepen.)
• Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl. Discard the spices.
• Put the fresh cranberries and raspberries into a medium saucepan with the poaching liquid from the pears and bring to boil.
• Turn down the heat and simmer until the liquid is thick and syrupy (about five or six minutes). Some of the cranberries will have popped, which is normal.
• Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
• Cut the angel food cake into slices.
• Layer in a glass serving-bowl: cake first, then custard, then pears, then berries.
• Repeat so that you have eight layers total.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight (if possible, but not essential).
To finish:
• Bring the port and dried cranberries to boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Leave it be for 30 minutes, or until completely cool.
• Drain well.
• Right before serving, whip the cream, adding the vanilla and powdered sugar to taste.
• Spread whipped cream over the top of the trifle and sprinkle with the pecans and the soaked cranberries.
[Note: To toast nuts, place them in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over low heat. When they become fragrant, they're ready.]
There are, probably, hundreds of trifle recipes out there, but this one has the distinctive Southern flair of toasted pecans. This dessert is tres elegant, and displays beautifully in a nice glass bowl.
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