POM and Roasted Pear Trifle

Method

To make the pastry cream: Whisk together egg yolks and cup of milk. Add cup of sugar, flour and vanilla, and whisk until sugar dissolves. Heat 1 cup of milk and whisk slowly into egg yolk and sugar mixture.

Return the mixture to saucepan and continue cooking until it thickens. Stir constantly, cooking for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.

To make the pomegranate Sauce: Prepare fresh pomegranate juice. In a medium size bowl, mix together 2/3 cup sugar and corn starch. Add pomegranate juice and orange liqueur.

Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then turn heat to low and cook until thickened. Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool.

To make the roasted pears: Preheat oven to 200ºC and line a baking sheet with foil. Pour vegetable oil on baking sheet.

Peel and chop pears. Toss with lemon juice and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Mix to combine pears with oil. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes.

To Assemble Trifle: Score 12 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top.

Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)

On a baking sheet, spread ladyfingers or cake in a single layer. Combine vermouth and orange liqueur and brush over ladyfingers or cake.

In a large serving bowl, alternate layers of ladyfingers, pomegranate sauce, pears, arils, and pastry cream.

Repeat layers, ending with a layer of pastry cream. Garnish with whipped cream and arils.