CHOCOLATE, CRANBERRY AND GINGER TRIFLE

Chocolate, Cranberry and Ginger Trifle image

Categories Milk/Cream Mixer Chocolate Dairy Egg Fruit Ginger Dessert Christmas Cranberry Winter Chill Bon Appétit Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher

Yield Makes 15 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

Cranberry Filling
2 (12-ounce) bags cranberries
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Chocolate Pudding
1 3/4 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
Assembly
1 (16-ounce) frozen pound cake, thawed, cut crosswise into 16 slices, each slice quartered
9 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Steps:

For filling:
Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in crystallized ginger. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
For pudding:
Bring milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar in medium bowl until very thick, about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch; beat to blend. Gradually beat in hot milk. Return mixture to saucepan; whisk over medium heat until pudding thickens and comes to boil, about 3 minutes (pudding will be very thick). Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and mixture is smooth. Mix in Grand Marnier. Transfer to medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Chill until cold, about 3 hours. (Filling and pudding can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)
Mix crystallized ginger into pudding. Beat cream in large bowl until firm peaks form. Set aside 1 1/2 cups whipped cream. Fold remaining whipped cream into pudding in 2 additions.
For assembly:
Cover bottom of 8-inch-diameter, 3-quart trifle bowl with single layer of cake pieces, turning crusts away from sides of bowl. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier. Spread 1 cup cranberry filling over cake to sides of bowl. Spread 1 1/4 cups pudding over cranberry filling to sides of bowl. Repeat layering 2 more times (reserve remaining chocolate pudding for another use).
Spread 1 1/2 cups whipped cream over trifle, building up whipped cream edges slightly. Spoon remaining filling atop whipped cream (but not atop whipped cream edges). Cover; chill at least 4 hours. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Chill.)