A Duo of Parfaits Keep The Party Colorful and Sweet!

Desserts / April 23, 2014

I get it now. I understand why people who make sweets are just a little more shiny and sugary. It is so dang fun and really, easier than I thought! I’m turning into someone who loves making desserts! I’m doing more baking, too. So be on the lookout for stuff that’s a little more complicated.

The first dessert on the left starts with one of the best lemon meringue pie fillings I’ve ever had. It is an old recipe from my maternal Grandmother that she got from high school in the 30’s. It is smooth and rich and just right. I topped it with some blackberry compote that I made quickly from thawing some summer berries I had in the freezer, (You know, for when I needed to plop a blackberry into a glass of Prosecco,) added sugar and lemon juice, and cooked for a bit. Then the top is whipped cream with lemon juice, sugar, vanilla and greek yogurt. The three textures are amazing. Topped with a lemon slice rolled in granulated sugar and frozen to keep its shape, and its perfect!

The purple one is just plain regal and came together in 15 minutes. A simple graham cracker crust is topped with canned blueberry pie filling. Then by combining a bit of the filling with some of the whipped cream you get a beautiful purple layer of amazingness. Try them both.

Raspberry Lemon Custard Parfaits

Prep time 2 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients:

¾ C blackberries, rinsed and dried
¼ C sugar + 2 T sugar
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice, divided
Lemon Custard pie filling (recipe from my Grandmother!)
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream beaten to 3 cups or so
1 small container Greek yogurt
1 t vanilla
1 drop yellow food coloring
Lemon sliced thin
¼ C fresh pecan pieces

Direction:

Make lemon filling as directed and cool. Take blackberries and the 2 T sugar and 1 T lemon juice and cooker over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Set aside to cool. Whip the cream, add the ¼ C sugar and incorporate sugar. Then with a hand whisk, blend in the yogurt, lemon juice, vanilla and food coloring. In a small glass serving cup or parfait glass, cover the bottom third with the lemon custard. Then layer with the blackberry mixture. Then place the lemon cream on the top. Sprinkle with the pecans. To keep the lemon slices stiff for presentation, first slice very thin, roll in the 2 T sugar, then place on a paper plate and freeze. Takes about an hour or so. Then place on the dessert before serving for a sparkly and colorful garnish.

Blueberry Mini Pies with Blueberry Cream

Over Graham Cracker Crust

Prep time 15 minutes / Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cans large can blueberry pie filling
9 original graham crackers, ground into a course meal
4 C whipped cream with the sugar and vanilla, ready to garnish
6 T butter, melted
3 T white sugar

Direction:

Mix smashed grahams with the melted butter and sugar. Press into the bottom of 6 dessert dishes, dividing evenly. Cover with the blueberry pie filling. Then take all but about a cup of the whipped cream and blend in 1 C of the blueberry filling, and lightly fold in. You want a few chunks to show but you want it blended so the cream turns a lovely shade of purple! Place that on top, not quite touching the outer edges. You want to still be able to see the blueberry from above. Top with a dollop of the plan cream, and for something really pretty, garnish with a mint leaf and one lovely little purple pearl. They will LICK THE BOWL…