Gingerbread Trifle With Cognac Custard And Pears Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-round-by-2-inch-tall cake pan; line with parchment.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl, and set aside.
• Beat 8 tablespoons butter in electric mixer on medium-high speed until lightened, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup at a time; scrape down sides after each addition. Beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Slowly add molasses, beating on medium speed, about 10 seconds. Slowly pour in buttermilk; beat to combine.
• On low speed, slowly add reserved flour mixture in 3 parts, beating to combine after each addition. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Gingerbread may be made 2 days ahead or kept frozen for 1 month.
• Juice lemon; place juice and both halves in large bowl of cold water. One at a time, peel pears, quarter, core, and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks; transfer to acidulated water.
• Drain pears; transfer half to 12-inch skillet. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Place over high heat; saute, stirring, until sugar and butter melt and form caramel, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high, cover, and continue cooking 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Transfer pears and liquid to large bowl to cool; repeat with remaining pears, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Let cool completely.
• Slice gingerbread into 3 rounds of equal thickness. Cut each round into 8 triangles. Line bottom of trifle bowl with 8 triangles of gingerbread; trim to fit if needed. Spoon 1 cup Cognac Custard over gingerbread, followed by 2 cups pears. Repeat process in two groups, layering with remaining gingerbread, custard, and pears.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare and bake gingerbread mix as directed on package using water and egg. Remove from pan; place on wire rack. Cool 1 1/2 hours or until completely cooled.
• Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon; mix well. Add cranberry juice and cranberries. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, thickened and most cranberries have popped, stirring constantly. Place plastic wrap on surface of cranberry mixture; set aside.
• In medium bowl, prepare pudding mix as directed on package using milk. In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold 1 cup of the pudding into whipped cream. Reserve remaining pudding.
• Cut gingerbread into 1-inch cubes. Arrange 1/3 of gingerbread cubes in bottom of clear glass 2 1/2-quart soufflé dish or trifle bowl. Top with half of the peach slices; spoon half of cranberry mixture over peaches. Top with another 1/3 of gingerbread. Top with remaining peaches; spoon reserved pudding over peaches. Top with remaining gingerbread. Press lightly to compact layers. Spoon remaining cranberry mixture over gingerbread. Top with whipped cream-pudding mixture. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare gingerbread batter as directed on package; spoon into 12 muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, beat pudding mixes, spices and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Melt chocolate as directed on package. Cut cupcakes horizontally in half. Reserve bottom halves of cupcakes for next step. Spoon melted chocolate into piping bag; use to pipe some of the chocolate into swirl pattern on cupcake tops as shown in photo. Decorate gingerbread cookies and marshmallows with remaining melted chocolate as desired. Refrigerate decorated cupcake tops, cookies and marshmallows until chocolate is firm.
• Cut reserved cupcake bottoms into quarters; place half in trifle bowl. Stand single layer of cupcake tops, decorated sides out, along side of trifle bowl. (Depending on size of trifle bowl, some cupcake tops might not fit. Cut into quarters and reserve them for next step.)
• Spoon pudding mixture into trifle bowl; top with remaining cupcake bottoms and any unused cupcake tops. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, gingerbread cookies and marshmallows.

Steps:

• Combine yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium high until mixture is pale yellow and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed; add flour, and beat to combine.
• Meanwhile, bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour half the milk into egg mixture; beat until smooth. Pour mixture back into saucepan; set over medium heat. Whisk until mixture comes to a boil, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in vanilla and cognac. Let cool. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and place in the refrigerator until needed or up to 3 days.