Provided by Cakes by Happy Eatery
The Paris Olympics are in full swing, and you’re thinking of doing a themed summer party for friends coming over to watch the games on your biggest available screen. Why not take advantage of summer fruits and do a parfait station?
Both parfaits and trifle are layered French desserts using a combination of cake, fruit, and some creamy filling. A parfait is a single serving item, whereas a trifle is a big bowl serving multiple people.
“Parfaits and trifle are layered desserts that are very French and perfect for summer because they utilize the abundance of fresh fruit available at this time of year,” says Victoria Wu of Cakes by Happy Eatery, one of two sisters who the bakery and café in Manassas. “Parfait features a combination of cake, fruit and some creamy filling, and trifle is a big bowl of similar ingredients so you can do both in your station or choose based on your taste.”
Wu recommends setting up a parfait station at a larger gathering to make it easier for guests to see this visually dazzling summer dessert option showing off the layers of cake, fruit and cream.
“You want to use clear cups or bowls to serve so it’s easier to see,” she says. “Cube bite-size cakes or using a cookie cutter – cut cakes into round discs.”
The parfait originated in France around 1890, where it was conceived as a frozen custard made by boiling eggs (the yolks are the key), sugar, and cream. In French, the word means “perfect.” Over the years since, the parfait has been reimagined as a partially frozen layered dessert served in clear glasses, tall thin flutes or bowls
“Part of the beauty of parfaits is seeing the layers of cake, fruit and cream,” says Wu. Her parfait stations always include a variety of fresh fruit, some macerated fruit (with sprinkled sugar on top of fresh fruit to sweeten the fruit and to release its natural juice), a variety of creams (e.g., Chantilly cream or chocolate mousse) and some garnishes and topping such as fresh mint, herbs, nuts, coffee, ladyfingers, more fresh fruit and dessert sauces.
In today’s dynamic food environment, parfaits are now often made with savory ingredients as well; there are versions made with seafood, vegetables, and even foie gras.
