Desserts: Cold Desserts: Light and Easy Pear-Strawberry Trifle

"Dress up" your table with this easy, yet fancy looking, fruit-laden dessert!

Author: USA Pears/Pear Bureau Northwest
Date: August 14, 2012

Serves: 12 person(s)
Yield: 12 x 1/2 cup servings

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 0 mins
Extra Time: 1 hrs (up to 4 hrs, for refrigeration)

Ingredients:

2 Anjou or Bosc USA pears, pared, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cup coarsely chopped strawberries
2 Tbsp almond-flavored liqueur (optional) *
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 (9-inch) angel food cake (no oil), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cup low-fat vanilla or lemon flavored yogurt
1 cup diced fresh pineapple *
1/2 Anjou or Bosc USA pear, sliced (additional, for garnish)
3 mint sprigs (for garnish)

Directions:

Toss pears in lemon juice. Toss strawberries in liqueur. Combine orange juice and honey, mix well.

Layer a deep 2 to 2 1/2-quart glass bowl in the following order: 1/3 of cake cubes sprinkled with 1 tablespoon orange juice mixture, 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup pear slices, 1 cup strawberries, and 1/2 cup pineapple; repeat. Layer remaining cake, sprinkle with remaining orange juice mixture and spread 1 cup yogurt over top.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. Garnish with pear slices and mint just before serving. Serve cold.

Variations:

* Ingredient substitutes, if desired:
1) 1/2 teaspoon almond extract may replace the almond-flavored liqueur
2) 1 cup canned pineapple (canned in natural juice), drained, may replace the fresh pineapple

Ingredient suggestions are not included in the nutritional analysis.