Desserts

Nectarine and Berry Parfaits

There are breakfast parfaits with layered fruit and yogurt, and then there are dessert parfaits like this with crumbled cookies, slightly sweetened whipped cream and seasonal fruit. Here, the whipped cream gets a boost from mascarpone and lemon zest. If you don’t wish to use orange-flavored liqueur, substitute 1 or 2 tablespoons of orange blossom honey for the liqueur and the sugar.

Nectarine and Berry Parfaits Ingredients

  • 1 large ripe nectarine or peach, halved, pitted
  • 1 cup very thinly sliced ripe strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • Mascarpone and lemon whipped cream, see note
  • 8 buttery shortbread, ladyfingers, amaretti or gingersnap cookies, crumbled
  • Fresh raspberries, for garnish
  • Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Step 1: Working over a bowl, use a sharp knife to slice 1 nectarine or peach very thinly. Add nectarine slices, 1 cup strawberry slices and 1 cup raspberries to the bowl. Add 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar; stir gently. Let stand for about 20 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, make mascarpone and lemon whipped cream.

Step 3: Place a generous dollop of the fruit into the bottom of 4 stemmed dessert or wine glasses. Top with 1 spoonful of the mascarpone cream, a few cookie bits and more fruit. Repeat layers to fill the glass evenly, ending with a dollop of the cream. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

Step 4: Serve cold, garnished with fresh raspberries and mint sprigs.

source : thedailymeal.com