Tis the season for eating! Being the overachiever that I am, I started celebrating the Season of Eating back in January (none of this waiting for Fall stuff) and am still going strong... a little too strong, according to my (now neglected) workout clothes... but life is meant to be enjoyed and good food is meant to be eaten, right?
Then hubby and I stowed away to Sonoma Wine Country for four days. And suddenly I decided that all of that nonstop good food and wine would warrant a juice cleanse upon return.
Silly me. When we returned, I promptly began recipe testing for holiday blog features. And you know what, folks? If I'm going to create some delicious recipes for you to try and share with your families this holiday season, there's no way I'm going halfway with the ingredients; for you, my fellow food-loving friends, I am going ALL IN with these recipes. No juice cleanse. No trendy diet recipes.
It's Thanksgiving, people! Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, greens, dessert, second dessert, libations. LET'S DO THIS.
Whole Foods Market Thanksgiving Recipe Challenge
I was thrilled when Whole Foods Market asked me to participate in their Thanksgiving Recipe Challenge this year. I love a good recipe challenge, and I love Whole Foods, so win-win -- and a trifecta of a win for YOU because Whole Foods Market is also generously offering a $25 gift card to give away to one lucky reader so that you can take your inspiration and build your own Thanksgiving awesomeness using fresh, whole, healthy ingredients from your local Whole Foods Market.
Super cool, right?
Details of the giveaway are at the end of this post. First, my Thanksgiving recipe. Each year, my parents host Thanksgiving and we host Christmas, so I rarely make the turkey. I am the Dessert Girl.
For the Whole Foods Thanksgiving Recipe Challenge, I decided to concoct a non-traditional, kid-friendly and kid-focused dessert recipe, using some ingredients that are only found at Whole Foods and a few you can find at any local grocery store. With my own kids in mind, I created the Chocolate Mousse Pretzel Trifle with Spiced Pear Cider.
It's a mouthful to say, but then again, so is the actual dessert to eat! Layers of love, my friends.
I wanted to originally make my spin on the classic tiramisu, which I make a lot for basic get togethers with friends and family, but then I started adding more ingredients and it became a trifle. With a layer of chocolate mousse. And lots of toppings. Lots. Of. Toppings. It basically became my son's dream dessert. "Mmm-mmm! This is GOOD!" were his exact words. Which means, hopefully, you will enjoy it too!
Make no mistake: this is not a delicate, light dessert -- not by any means. This is piles of layers of delicious love, and it's messy and fun and gloriously rich.
I decided to divvy them up into individual servings but you could easily recreate these layers into one big trifle bowl as well.
I could spend hours in the various sweets sections at Whole Foods Market. The chocolate? Is GOOD chocolate. For this recipe, I used Divine Milk Chocolate Baking Bar and Glutino Gluten Free Pretzels.
Note: a full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post with detailed ingredients list.
First Layer
You start by taking one ladyfinger per serving, breaking it into pieces, and layering the pieces at the bottom of each serving dish. You can break them into pieces as you see below, or you can even crush the cookies into a crumbly sort of crust mixture for the bottom. It's up to you! After you have those cookies down, it's time to make the Spiced Pear Cider sauce.
Spices Pear Cider Sauce
I used R.W. Knudsen Spiced Pear cider for the sauce mix. I love this stuff. I could just pop a tall straw into this, cozy up to the fire, and drink in all of the heavenly flavors of the holidays. It's delicious. Even if you never make this recipe, pick up a bottle of this at your nearby Whole Foods Market and just enjoy.
To a small or medium sauce pot over medium heat, add 1 cup of the Spiced Pear Cider, ¼ cup of packed brown sugar, ½ Tablespoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir constantly and allow to reach a rolling boil. Keep at a rolling boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring periodically, and then turn off the heat.
Allow the Spiced Pear Cider Sauce to cool slightly. Then carefully pour the sauce over the ladyfingers.
Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of mascarpone, and spoon over the ladyfingers. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Sprinkle a light layer of chopped chocolate covered pretzels -- just about a tablespoon in each serving will do at this point. The next layer is the chocolate mousse.
Making the Chocolate Mousse
I heat up a small sauce pot over medium-low heat and place the chopped Divine chocolate bar in. Do NOT allow this to boil, but rather just give the chocolate enough heat to slowly melt. Meanwhile, you can beat ¾ cup cold whipping cream in a stand mixer on high until soft peaks form. When the chocolate has melted, remove from heat. When the whipping cream has thickened to whipped cream consistency, gently fold in the whipped cream into the slightly cooled melted chocolate, until ingredients are well blended.
NOTE: if you find as you fold in the whipped cream that the consistency of the mix starts melting into a smooth, thin chocolate mix, you can allow the entire mix to cool in the refrigerator for a few minutes, and then whip again in the stand mixer for a few minutes to build the thick, whipped consistency.
Topping Time
Gently spoon the whipped chocolate mousse over the layers in the serving bowls. Top each serving with however much chopped pretzel and mini chocolate chips you want. Add a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon to top it all off. You can serve this right away, or even chill in the fridge for up to a day before serving.
Ta-da! You're done with the layers of love. A printable recipe is at the bottom of this post. Now eat! But first: the giveaway...
Ingredients
- 6 large ladyfinger cookies more if you are crushing them into finer pieces and using as a flat layer
- SPICED PEAR CIDER SAUCE
- 1 cup R.W. Knudsen Spiced Pear Cider
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- 1 5.3 oz bar of Divine Milk Chocolate baking bar chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup cold whipping cream
- TOPPINGS
- 1 cup chopped Glutino Gluten Free Covered Pretzels or you can use the Glutino Gluten Free Yogurt Pretzels too!
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
- MAKE THE FIRST LAYER:
- Take one ladyfinger per serving, breaking it into pieces, and layer the pieces at the bottom of each serving dish. You can break them into pieces as you see below, or you can even crush the cookies into a crumbly sort of crust mixture for the bottom.
- MAKE THE SPICED PEAR CIDER SAUCE
- To a small or medium sauce pot over medium heat, add 1 cup of the Spiced Pear Cider, ¼ cup of packed brown sugar, ½ Tablespoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir constantly and allow to reach a rolling boil. Keep at a rolling boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring periodically, and then turn off the heat.
- Allow the Spiced Pear Cider Sauce to cool slightly. Then carefully pour the sauce over the ladyfingers.
- Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of mascarpone, and spoon over the ladyfingers. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
- Sprinkle a light layer of chopped chocolate covered pretzels -- just about a tablespoon in each serving will do at this point.
- MAKE THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- Heat up a small sauce pot over medium-low heat and place the chopped Divine chocolate bar in. Do NOT allow this to boil, but rather just give the chocolate enough heat to slowly melt.
- Meanwhile, beat ¾ cup cold whipping cream in a stand mixer on high until soft peaks form.
- When the chocolate has melted, remove from heat.
- When the whipping cream has thickened to whipped cream consistency, gently fold in the whipped cream into the slightly cooled melted chocolate, until ingredients are well blended.
- Gently spoon the whipped chocolate mousse over the layers in the serving bowls.
- Top each serving with however much chopped pretzel and mini chocolate chips you want.
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
Cynthia says
I would buy something special for Thanksgiving dinner.
Thomas Murphy says
I would buy some produce.
Kerri (TheMaven) says
Lunch fixin's for Sebby!!
Amanda Sakovitz says
id buy meats and produce!