WHAT IS A TRIFLE?

Trifle is an English dessert that usually includes alcohol-soaked cake, beneath layers of custard, fruit and whipped cream. There are many different ways to compose a trifle, but the key is for all of those beautiful ingredients to be layered in a glass bowl so they are visible to those who will be eating it.

THE LAYERS OF THIS CARAMELIZED PEAR TRIFLE

This may not be your traditional trifle, but nothing I do is traditional, so you’ll have to excuse me as I add my own flair to my recipes. This trifle includes four delicious layers – a winter spiced pear cake, gooey caramelized pears, a crunchy walnut crumble and fluffy vanilla whipped cream.

Winter Spiced Pear Cake – This cake is one of my favourites, as it’s actually completely vegan (if you want to make it on it’s own), and gluten-free! I add ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, to give it that warm, cozy, winter appeal.

Caramelized Pears – You can’t have a caramelized pear trifle without caramelized pears! Finely diced pears warmed with brown sugar and cinnamon – these pears are to-die-for in this trifle, and on their own…by the spoonful!

Crunchy Walnut Crumble – Dessert isn’t dessert without a crunch factor, and this is it. Toasted walnuts tossed with melted butter and sugar bring this dessert to life!

Vanilla Whipped Cream – The perfect and prettiest topping to finish it all off!

HOW TO MAKE THIS DESSERT FULLY VEGAN

The cake itself is actually a fully vegan cake, so if you would like to keep this dessert vegan, follow the instructions below:

1. Make the cake layer in the exact same way.
2. For the caramelized pear and crunchy walnut layers – substitute regular butter for vegan butter.
3. For the whipped cream, use canned coconut milk that has been chilling in the fridge for at least 24 hours, instead of whipping cream. Scoop the top, solid milk from the can and whip in the same manner as the recipe suggests!

THE PERFECT TIME TO MAKE THIS TRIFLE

When I think of pears, I often think of winter and warm spices. This trifle would definitely be a kick-ass dessert to serve during any fall or winter holiday – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s – you name it! Each individual component can be made the day before and then assembled prior to serving. This is definitely a dessert that feeds a crowd!

OTHER DELICIOUS LAYERED DESSERTS YOU MUST TRY:

Vegan Coconut Panna Cotta with a Mango Compote (made in individual serving cups!)

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Bars (what’s better than nut butter + chocolate?!)

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Caramelized Pear Trifle

*I highly recommend reading through this recipe in full first, before making.

Serving size: 8-10

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the spiced cake layer:

• 1 cup full-fat, canned coconut milk
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 banana, mashed
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups gluten-free flour, plus 1 tbsp for dusting cake pans, I use Bob’s Red Mill
• 1 tsp cinnamon, separated
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the caramelized pear layer:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
• 4 pears, small dice (I like to use Bartlett)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• pinch of salt

For the crunchy walnut layer:

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped into small pieces
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or vegan butter), melted
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• pinch of salt

For the vanilla whipped cream layer:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the spiced cake layer:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two, six-inch cake pans by buttering, lining the bottom with parchment, and dusting with some of the gluten free flour.
2. Stir the apple cider vinegar into the coconut milk and set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat together the brown sugar, banana and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.
4. In a separate, medium bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
5. In a few additions, alternate between adding the dry ingredients and coconut milk to the banana mixture, beating until combined and smooth.
6. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

For the caramelized pear layer:

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the pears are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing the remainder of the ingredients.

For the crunchy walnut layer:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place walnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, watching very carefully – they burn quickly! Remove when they are starting to look a bit more brown in colour and they become fragrant.
3. Mix the walnuts with the melted butter, brown sugar and a pinch of salt and set aside.

For the vanilla whipped cream layer:

1. Place a large bowl and beaters into the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
2. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the cold bowl and beat on medium-high speed with the cold beaters, until soft peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar and beat again until medium peaks form (about 1-2 minutes in total). Add the vanilla and beat until just combined.

To assemble this Caramelized Pear Trifle:

1. Slice the cake rounds into cubes and place 3/4 of them on the bottom of your glass trifle bowl.
2. Spoon over half of the caramelized pears.
3. Sprinkle half of the crunchy walnuts.
4. Top with half of the whipped cream.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 with the remaining ingredients and finish it off with a dusting of cinnamon on top! Enjoy!

I recommend serving this trifle immediately. It can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

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WHAT IS SWEET POTATO CREME BRULEE?

I really love sweet potatoes and I always have them at this time of year. I prefer them to white potatoes and always experiment with different ways of using them. This week, I turned them into the cutest little desserts, that are also dairy-free and gluten-free! ‘Cause who doesn’t love to be free?!

INGREDIENTS

So, real talk: My appreciation for coconut milk grows by the day. Nature seriously did us a solid by serving us coconuts, and I am down for it. You can very likely turn any animal-based recipe into a plant-based one with a simple can of coconut milk, just in case you were wondering!

Coconut milk and sweet potatoes are the two main ingredients in this recipe. You will also need a sweetener, and since sweet potatoes and maple go really well together, I use syrup (that pure Canadian kind)! Some cinnamon and fresh nutmeg bring in the warm, cozy feelings of winter. Finally, the glue that holds it all together is the agar agar. Agar agar is basically a vegan gelatin. You can buy it on Amazon, or if you have any specialty grocery stores in your ‘hood, try that!

HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO CREME BRULEE

The first step is to roast the sweet potato. I really hate a mess (and I’m lazy), so I just pierce my potato with a fork a few times and stick it directly on the rack of my oven, place a piece of tin foil on the rack below it (to catch any drippings), set my oven to 400 degrees and walk away for an hour. You will see the potato begin to ooze out (yes, it’s normal) and that’s usually how you know it is ready. Stick a fork in it, just in case.

Next, you place the potato, milk and syrup in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a pot with some salt and the spices and bring to a boil. Add the agar agar and reduce heat, whisking for about a minute to ensure the agar is completely combined. Strain the mixture and pour into small ramekins and when ready to serve, top with some sugar (I do a mix of white and brown) and torch!

Your holiday guests will love cracking the hardened sugar on top and diving in to this semi-healthy treat!

OTHER VEGAN DESSERTS

Vegan Whipped Cream (the perfect dessert topping)

Vegan Rice Crispy Chocolate Treats (a perfect bite-sized snack)

Chocolate Chai Ganache (amazing for cake decorating)

TOOLS I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Sweet Potato Creme Brulee (Vegan, GF)

Servings: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I use Silk brand)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of fresh nutmeg
• A pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp agar agar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp sugar (I mix equal parts white and brown)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork a few times. When oven is ready, place potato directly on the middle rack, and put a piece of tin foil on the rack below it, to catch any drippings. Bake for 1 hour, or until fork inserts easily into the centre. Carefully remove skin.
2. To your blender, add the sweet potato, both coconut milks and the syrup. Blend until smooth and then transfer to a pot.
3. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, add the agar agar, lower the heat to a simmer and whisk continuously for one minute, or until the agar agar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve directly into four small ramekins. Place in the fridge to firm up for at least one hour.
5. Right before serving, sprinkle the tops of each ramekin with one tablespoon of the sugar and use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until it is a deep brown colour. Let it sit for a minute before serving.
6. Crack the top with a spoon and enjoy!

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