“Everybody likes parfaits. … Parfaits are delicious.”
Wise words indeed spoken by Duncan the donkey in the movie “Shrek.”
Parfaits are really do-ahead sundaes that are made up of different combinations of ice cream, sorbets, sauces and often some sort of a crunchy addition.
They should be made at least a day before serving, and you can keep a stash of these ready-to-serve sundaes in your freezer for up to a week.
My mother used to serve parfaits as our Sunday lunch dessert. She layered them in long, narrow glasses that were saved especially for our parfaits and served them with long iced teaspoons so we could spoon up every bit of sauce from the bottom.
The “Sunday flavor of the week” could include ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt and each new week brought a new choice. On sweltering summer days, my mother cooled us off with coconut ice cream layered with toasted coconut and white chocolate, or a cool mint chocolate-chip ice cream and chocolate-fudge combination.
Inspiration even came from a box of candy: Bing cherries covered with milk chocolate-fudge sauce combined with cherry-vanilla ice cream.
Her theory was that the more good stuff that went into a parfait, the better it would taste. Store-bought cookies, ladyfingers, pieces of crunchy candy and chocolate chips all found their way into the parfait glasses.
Building blocks
Glasses that let the colorful layers show through and have at least a 10-ounce capacity work best. Traditionally, parfaits are made in sundae glasses or glasses that have a stem, but even ordinary bistro-type glasses work well and lend a hearty quality.
A presentation that looks especially luxurious is to use extra-large goblet-style glasses that hold as much as 20 ounces, then fill them half or three-quarters full. Be sure to spread all of the sauces and ice creams to the edge of the glass so the colorful layers show through.
Parfaits are a perfect choice for serving a crowd. Quantities are easily doubled or increased to make enough to fit any size crowd. It is fun to have several different choices so guests can pick their favorites.
A general method for building a parfait is to begin by putting a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of the glass. Then alternate three layers of ice cream or sorbet with sauce or crunch additions, or better yet, use both, then top it off with a swirl of sauce.
A dollop of freshly whipped cream can be added when you serve them. Chocolate sauce, a thick orange or lemon-curd type fruit sauce, butterscotch sauce or caramel sauce are good choices. These sauces retain a soft texture when frozen between layers of ice cream.
Be sure to cool any warm sauces before assembling a parfait, so they do not melt the ice cream. When using a raspberry or strawberry fruit sauce, swirl some of the sauce into about 1/2 cup of the ice cream or add a tablespoon of liqueur to each 1/2 cup of sauce. This prevents the sauce from becoming icy and hard when it freezes in the parfait.
On the other hand, quickly cooked and slightly thickened lemon or orange sauces remain pleasantly soft even when frozen.
It is best to use a good-quality ice cream rather than a premium one. An ultra-rich premium ice cream is unnecessarily rich for parfaits. The sorbet or frozen yogurt option is a lighter choice that also works well.
When assembling a parfait, soften the ice cream just until it is easy to scoop and spread. The less the ice cream melts, the better it will taste after it freezes firm again. Soft, but not melted, ice cream also will retain its creamy texture and tend not to form undesirable ice crystals.
To store a parfait, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, then freeze it for up to 1 week. Good wrapping protects parfaits from absorbing odors from other foods.
At serving time, let the parfaits sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Then get out your long spoons and dig down deep.
Chocolate-covered cherry parfaits
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Freezing time: 8 hours
Yield: 6 servings
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 pints cherry vanilla or black cherry ice cream
6 fresh Bing cherries with stems, optional
1. Heat the cream until hot in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. (Do not let mixture heat to a boil.) Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the chopped chocolate, stirring until melted. Stir in the vanilla; set aside at room temperature 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.
2. Place a small spoonful of the chocolate sauce in the bottom of each of 6 tall glasses; press about 1/3 cup of the ice cream into each glass. Spread about 2 teaspoons of the sauce over the ice cream, spreading it to the edges. Repeat with 2 more layers of ice cream, ending with a swirl of milk chocolate sauce on top.
3. Cover each parfait with plastic wrap; freeze at least 8 hours or up to 1 week. Let the parfaits soften slightly at room temperature about 5 minutes before serving. Serve topped with a stemmed cherry, if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
702 calories, 58% of calories from fat, 46 g fat, 27 g saturated fat, 234 mg cholesterol, 64 g carbohydrates, 11 g protein, 180 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Mango colada parfaits
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Freezing time: 8 hours
Yield: 6 servings
1 cup toasted, sweetened, shredded coconut, see note
1 package (6 ounces) white chocolate, melted
2 pints mango sorbet
1 pint coconut ice cream or sorbet
9 ladyfinger cookies, split lengthwise in half
1. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the toasted coconut in the bottom of each of 6 tall glasses with at least a 10-ounce capacity; drizzle with a bit of melted white chocolate. Press about 1/3 cup of the mango sorbet into each glass. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of the coconut, spreading it to the edges; drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of melted white chocolate. Repeat the layering using a layer of the coconut ice cream.
2. Stand 3 ladyfinger halves, spacing them evenly with the flat side facing in, against the side of the glasses. The tops of the ladyfingers should show above the top of the glass. Add a final layer of mango sorbet, toasted coconut and melted white chocolate.
3. Cover each parfait carefully with plastic wrap; freeze at least 8 hours or up to 1 week. Let the parfaits soften slightly at room temperature about 5 minutes before serving.
Note: To toast coconut, bake on an ungreased baking pan in a 300-degree oven until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
559 calories, 36% of calories from fat, 23 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 89 mg cholesterol, 85 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 118 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
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Elinor Klivans is the author of many cookbooks, including”Cupcakes!”
