Pear-White Pepper Tiramisu

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I so wanted to love this. The mascarpone mixture was perfect, the pepper tempered the sweetness and it just tasted so heavenly. I did slice the pear very thin, so no problems there. The plastic wrap lining handled like a charm and the desert was so pretty and perfect. The killer was the overwhelming taste of the pear brandy. Yes, my southern, small, metropolitan area, local grocer carries pear brandy, so I was really excited....but the brandy just took over this dish. I think if I try this one again, the pear brandy will be omitted. Oh, did I mention how divine the mascarpone mixture tasted?

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PART 1 OF REVIEW: I wanted to make this for Christmas dessert following a prime rib dinner. I live in a big metro area and pear brandy was nowhere to be found so I improvised. I cut up one whole pear and poured half a cup of brandy and a splash of pear nectar over it in a mason jar. I let it sit overnight and strained it the next day. If you have a few weeks, you can make pear brandy, but I only had 24 hours. I used Kerns Pear Nectar and Specialty Baker’s soft Lady Fingers. Other than my make shift pear brandy, I followed the directions as written. As soon as I tasted the mascarpone mixture with the white pepper, I thought this would be a hit but was a little worried about an overwhelming alcohol taste. I could not taste the pepper in the mascarpone, but it had a nice bit of heat to it. Combined with the coolness of the cheese, it was a nice combo. SEE PART 2 OF REVIEW.

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PART 2 OF REVIEW: In assembling it, I had to re-slice the pears even thinner so I would get two layers. Keep in mind that you are going to need to lay out about 90 square inches (two layers of 9 x 5 inches of pears so you had better slice the one pear in the recipe very thin. The next day I took out the leftover mascarpone mixture and let it come to room temp. When I turned the cake over and frosted it, I really thought that there was just too much mascarpone. It either needed more lady fingers or less cream. I am not sure if I will make this again. If I do, I am going to use more than the 27 lady fingers. I will do the three layers but also put an outer layer horizontally in the pan – there was plenty of room. I will probably also pour my alcohol mixture in a shallow dish and soak the lady fingers instead of drizzling on top by the tablespoon. I prefer my traditional tiramisu to this that I make with coffee and Kahlua.

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I wanted to love this, but I didn't. Tried to find pear brandy...nearly impossible. The liquor store had bottles ranging in price from $29.95 - $65.00. A little too pricey for 1/2 cup the recipe calls for. I doubled the pear nectar instead. I thought that one pear wasn't enough and the pepper was a little overwhelming and I like pepper. The cake was easy to make and very pretty. It probably really needs the brandy. What would be a cheaper alternative?