White Chocolate Tiramisu Trifle with Spiced Pears - pear juice

Method

• Combine first 6 ingredients in large saucepan.
• Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.
• Add pears and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until pears are just tender when pierced with knife, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer liquid with pears to large bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate.
• Boil poaching liquid in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until slightly thickened and reduced to generous 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
• Strain into 2-cup measuring cup; discard spices in strainer.
• Cool.
• Cover and chill pears and pear syrup until cold.
• Combine white chocolate, pear brandy, and 1/4 cup water in top of double boiler set over simmering water.
• Stir until smooth (mixture will be very liquidy).
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean.
• Transfer white chocolate mixture to large bowl; gradually add mascarpone, whisking until mixture is smooth.
• Cool mascarpone mixture until barely lukewarm.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form.
• Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture in 4 additions.
• Cover and chill white chocolate mousse until set, about 3 hours.
• DO AHEAD: Pears and mousse can be made 1 day ahead.
• Keep chilled.
• Cut pears lengthwise in half and remove cores and stems; cut halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Arrange ladyfingers, rounded sides down, in single layer in bottom of 12-cup trifle dish (about 8 inches in diameter and 5 inches deep), covering bottom completely (using about 15 ladyfingers).
• Drizzle 5 tablespoons pear syrup evenly over ladyfingers.
• Using small offset spatula, spread 1/3 of white chocolate mousse over ladyfingers, making layer slightly thicker around outer edges of dish to allow mousse to be more visible (center of mousse layer will be thin).
• Starting at outer edges of dish, place pear slices in single layer with curved edges against sides of dish atop mousse, covering completely.
• Repeat layering of ladyfingers, syrup, mousse, and pears 2 more times.
• Cover with fourth layer of ladyfingers (some ladyfingers and pear slices may be left over).
• Drizzle ladyfingers evenly with 5 tablespoons syrup.
• DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead.
• Cover and refrigerate trifle and remaining pear syrup separately.
• Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups whipping cream in large bowl until soft peaks form.
• Add 1/4 cup pear syrup and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Working in batches, transfer cream to large pastry bag fitted with large star tip.
• Pipe rosettes all over top of trifle, mounding slightly in center.
• Sprinkle with crystallized ginger.
• Garnish with chocolate curls.
• DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead.
• Keep refrigerated.
• Sift powdered sugar over trifle just before serving.
• * Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.
• ** Available in the bakery or bread section of some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.