FOOD & DRINK
Poached
Peach Trifles
SERVES 4 TO 6 / 1 1/2 HOURS
These luscious spiced trifles are just about
the most indulgent summer dessert.
½ cup granulated sugar
2 pinches saffron
Seeds from 4 to 5 cardamom pods, coarsely
ground
1 tbsp. rose water
3 small, firm-ripe yellow peaches, peeled* if
you like, halved lengthwise, and pitted
WHIPPED CARDAMOM MASCARPONE
8 oz. mascarpone cheese, at room
temperature
1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cardamom
ASSEMBLY
2 pound cakes (about 11 oz. each) such as
Sara Lee, thawed if frozen
1 cup finely diced firm-ripe yellow peaches
¾ cup chopped, lightly toasted pistachios
Poach peaches: In a medium saucepan
over medium-high heat, bring 1 cup wa-
ter, the granulated sugar, saffron, carda-
mom, and rose water to a boil; boil 1
minute. Set peaches flat in syrup, reduce
heat to medium, and cook 3 minutes.
Gently turn fruit over. Cook until barely
tender when pierced, 2 minutes more.
Transfer to a plate, let cool, and chill
about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, reduce poaching liquid over
medium-high heat to a scant 1 cup, 2 to
5 minutes. Let cool; chill about 30
minutes.
Make mascarpone: In bowl of a stand
mixer, whip mascarpone at medium
speed until light and creamy, 30 seconds.
Add whipping cream, powdered sugar,
vanilla, and cardamom and whip until
thick and fluffy (but don’t overwhip),
scraping bowl as needed, about 1 ¹₂ min-
utes. Fit a large pastry bag with a ¹₂-in.
star tip and fill with mascarpone mix-
ture, or just use a spoon.- Assemble trifles: Trim crusts from cakes
and slice lengthwise ¹₃ in. thick. Cut 12
rounds using a biscuit cutter about 2 ³₄
in. wide; save extra cake for other uses. - Gently push a cake round to bottom of
each of 6 glasses about 3 in. wide and 3
¹₂ in. tall. Spoon 1 tbsp. poaching syrup
(including spices) over cake. Next, pipe
a layer of whipped mascarpone over cake
(or spoon a generous ¹₄ cup mixture
into each glass). Sprinkle each with 2 ¹₂
tbsp. chopped peaches, then a generous
1 tbsp. pistachios. Repeat layers of cake,
syrup, and mascarpone. Set a peach half
on top. Pipe or spoon a dollop of mascar-
pone on peach. Sprinkle each trifle with
1 ¹₂ tsp. pistachios and drizzle with
poaching syrup.
*Dip in boiling water 20 seconds, then peel.
MAKE AHEAD Up to 1 day, chilled air-
tight.68 JULY/AUGUST 2019 SUNSET