Ingredients
Pastry Cream:
6 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pomegranate Sauce:
juice from 46 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or 2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
⅔ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Roasted Pears:
6 Bosc pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cake:
1 cup arils from 12 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates
4 dozen ladyfingers or slices of soft yellow cake
¼ cup vermouth
3 tablespoons orange liqueur
½ cup whipped cream
Preparation
Pastry Cream:
1. Whisk together egg yolks and cup milk.
2. Add cup sugar, flour and vanilla, and whisk until sugar dissolves.
3. Heat 1 cups of milk and whisk slowly into egg yolk and sugar mixture.
4. Return the mixture to saucepan and continue cooking until it thickens. Stir constantly, cooking for about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.
Pomegranate Sauce:
1. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together ⅔ cup sugar and cornstarch.
3. Add pomegranate juice and orange liqueur.
4. Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and cook until thickened.
5. Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool.
Roasted Pears:
1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Pour vegetable oil on baking sheet.
3. Peel and chop pears. Toss with lemon juice and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Mix to combine pears with oil.
4. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes.
To Assemble Trifle:
1. 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.)
2. On a baking sheet, spread ladyfingers or cake in a single layer. Combine vermouth and orange liqueur and brush over ladyfingers or cake.
3. In a large serving bowl, alternate layers of ladyfingers, pomegranate sauce, pears, cup arils, and pastry cream. Repeat layers, ending with a layer of pastry cream.
4. Garnish with whipped cream and arils.
* For 2 cups of juice, cut 4-6 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.
- Recipe courtesy of POM Wonderful