‘Parfait’ means ‘perfect’ in French and these delicious desserts are just that! We’ve pulled together the best of both the layered American-style parfaits and the frozen, mousse-like French versions. There’s everything from quick and easy yoghurt and raspberry layered parfaits to indulgent white chocolate and berry frozen treats. Just serve with a sprinkling of toasted oats or nuts for added texture and enjoy.
We all know that everybody likes parfait but with chunks of chocolate, nougat and a caramel sauce this is one parfait you’ll be sure to love.
Rich, creamy and fruity, this classic dessert has it all.
This chocolate nougat frozen parfait is incredibly simple to make, but is bound to impress. A great way to end a special dinner party.
Not suitable to microwave. Note
Sweet and tart, fruity and creamy, this dessert is a taste sensation that will impress any guest.
These old-style passionfruit mango parfaits will be a hit with young and old when you serve them up for dessert.
This creamy frozen dessert is rich in flavour, and most definitely a crowd pleasing dish.
This exciting and gorgeous dessert perfectly balances its flavours; a hint of tart mixed with smooth creaminess.
Creamy parfait and the zesty salad come together to showcase an iconic flavour pairing of the culinary world – chocolate and orange.
The quality of store bought meringue is excellent, and once smothered fresh blackberries, yoghurt and cream your guests won’t know the difference. For a grown up version, splash a little blackberry liqueur such as crème de mûre for a boozy twist.
A French-style parfait that’s sure to impress.
The beauty of a frozen dessert is that it can be made well in advance and brought to the table with the minimum of stress. This colourful raspberry parfait brings a wonderful, refreshing restaurant-quality dish to your dinner party or family celebration.
Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note
Lusciously spiced and visually stunning, this dessert deserves a very special occasion on which to shine.
Topped with crunchy toasted oats, these layered yoghurt and cherry parfaits are a quick, delicious and healthy dessert. You can add a handful of slivered almonds to the toasted oats for extra crunch if you like.
Parfait means ‘perfect’ in French and there’s a lot about this chocolate, honey and red berry version that is perfect. For starters, it’s easy to make and doesn’t melt too quickly which means it’s great for entertaining. It also looks amazing.
There is no cooking required for this fabulous layered dessert, and it just takes a few minutes to put together, so you can indulge in a berry, coconut and yoghurt parfait at a moment’s notice.
What is a parfait in Australia?
In Australia, “parfait” can refer to either a French dessert or an American one.
A French parfait is a frozen dessert made from sugar syrup, egg, and cream. Similar in a way to ice-cream or semifreddo, it is whipped into a mousse-like consistency that requires little to no churning while freezing. This makes it possible to create in a home kitchen without a specialist ice-cream machine for example.
An American parfait is more commonly made by layering cream, ice cream or yoghurt and sometimes fruit. They’re generally served in a tall glass to show all the lovely layers, however can also be served in a shorter glass if you prefer.
What is a parfait made of?
Sugar syrup, eggs and cream are the most common ingredients in a traditional French parfait, while American versions typically use layers of cream or yoghurt and fruit. But some recipes use ricotta or mascarpone instead of cream or yoghurt, as well as different ingredients to add flavour and texture.
As well as fruit, this can include vanilla beans, chocolate, chopped nuts, nougat, coconut or even muesli. You can even dress up the dessert with a sweet syrup or garnish to suit the occasion.
Serving ideas
For an American-style recipe, consider clear glasses or serving dishes that show the layers in your dessert.
For a French, frozen dessert, you could present the whole parfait on a serving plate or dish, before serving individual slices.
Alternatively, cut the parfait with a warm knife and put on individual plates before serving.
Check individual recipes for other serving suggestions.
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