Ingredients
Spiced Pears
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
1 cup pear juice or pear nectar
11/4 cups sugar
12 whole green cardamom pods, crushed in resealable plastic bag with a 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, peeled
White Chocolate Mascarpone
Mousse
7 ounces high quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup poire William(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
Trifle Assembly
3 3-ounce packages soft lady fingers, separated
2 cups chilled heavy whipping crea1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger
White chocolate curls
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Preparation
Spiced Pears Combine first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with a knife about 35 minutes. Transfer liquid with pears to large bowl and refrigerate , about 3 hours Using slotted spoon transfer pears to plate. Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat reduced to a generous 11/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup measuring cup; . Cool, cover and chill pears and syrup until cold Mousse Combine white chocolate, pear brandy and 1/4 cup water in top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until smooth Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cool mixture until barely lukewarm Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in a medium bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions. Cover and chill about 3 hours
