GINGERBREAD EGGNOG TRIFLE

GINGERBREAD EGGNOG TRIFLE image

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 cup eggnog
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar or to taste
1 gingerbread cake http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Christmas-Gingerbread-Cake-with-Maple-Whipped-Cream-5744
4 pears, peeled, halved & cored
1 bottle white wine (or 4 cups water if you prefer not to use wine)
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 4-inch piece of ginger, chopped (I sliced it thinly instead so that I could pick it out later.)
1 tsp nutmeg

Steps:

Place the halved pears in a pan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Poach the pears until tender. Depending on the ripeness of the pear, it may take 20-60 minutes. Remove the pears and continue to boil the wine mixture until reduced and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Using electric mixer beat the mascarpone, eggnog, whipping cream, vanilla, sugar and nutmeg in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Cut the cake into cubes. Arrange a layer of cake cubes on the bottom of a glass, bowl or dish. Top with pears and drizzle with some of the reduced wine mixture. (I drizzled only the liquid - not the ginger or cinnamon.) Top with the eggnog cream mixture. Repeat layers until the cake and cream are use.