Prepared by freezing or vigorously cooling whipped fresh heavy cream, without baking.

Parfait ingredients

As part of the ingredients of the papé dessert, whipped are required fresh cream, for a richer taste, add beaten eggs with sugar, brought in a water bath to thicken, and then chilled, there should also be aromatic components that give the parfait an unforgettable flavor (this can be fruit extract, fresh or dried fruit puree, vanilla, coffee , chocolate, etc.).

If you look closely, the classic parfait is nothing more than whipped and then frozen crème brulee, cooked in cream, but without baking

The structure of modern parfait, which is served in European restaurants, is very precisely organized - first, they create the base of the dessert, which is saturated with aromas using impregnation, then they associate it with the next layer of dessert, adding whipped cream in the cold, which was previously combined with egg yolk hot. and sugar. Finally, this still life is decorated with whites, whipped with sugar, to give the parfait a finishing touch and an elegant look.

The collected dessert is placed in a cold place so that everything hardens well and forms a single flavor ensemble.

In France, parfaits are served on dessert plates, in ceramic bowls, supplemented with whipped proteins, and parfaits can also be offered in thin tall glass glasses so that the structure of the dessert is visible.

American parfait

Americans, who are also very fond of this dessert, prefer to mix much more ingredients in the parfait.

They include in its composition and granola (granulated muesli made from oatmeal, nuts and honey), and nuts, and yogurt, and liqueurs, and even gelatinous fillers made from fruits. The top of the parfait in the American version is usually garnished with whipped cream.

Parfait history

The history of the creation of the parfait dessert dates back to the distant 1894. In those days, there were no refrigerators in France, let alone freezers, ordinary ice was used. Parfaits were mainly served at the royal table, at the heart of the dessert was a whipped mixture of sugar syrup, eggs and cream. The high fat content of the dessert, which was achieved by introducing heavy cream, made it possible to create a porous, airy structure - during whipping, the mixture was cooled with snow or ice, placing a container with ingredients there. In this case, water crystals did not have time to form and the texture turned out to be very delicate, truly perfect.

Modern technologies also use this physical phenomenon - when making ordinary ice cream, it is also constantly stirred, while freezing.

Parfait and Harry Potter

Telling the story of the creation of the parfait, one cannot but mention the dessert, which is described in the book about Harry Potter - "The Philosophical Stone". It mentions that when Drsley and Harry were on their way to the zoo, Harry was eating the remains of the nickerbocker dessert that Dudley had left for him. The latter complains that there was not enough ice cream on top in his first nickerbocker.

The well-known knickerbocker is the name given to New Yorkers who trace their genealogy from the first Dutch settlers) is an ice cream dessert consisting of several layers, which is usually served in a large tall conical glass glass. It is eaten with a long dessert spoon.

Knickerbocker is especially popular in the British Isles.

The dessert recipe was first recorded in the 1920s and can contain ice cream, whipped cream, fruits, and small meringues. All these fillers are laid in layers and alternated in a tall thin glass of glass. The top of the dessert is topped with aromatic syrup, nuts, whipped cream and sometimes a cherry.

By the way, the Americans also seriously advanced in the topic of creating a nickerbocker and came up with an alcoholic citrus cocktail called a nickerbocker, the legend about it is also associated with the history of the resettlement of Dutch colonists with the frequent surname Knickerbocker to American lands.

Parfait in England

And now - about the British understanding of the term "parfait". In the United Kingdom, ordering a parfait from a waiter, be prepared to be served a delicate meat pâté, which the British make from chicken or duck liver, ennobling its taste with liqueur.

It is believed that parfait appeared in the late 19th century in France, in an era when refrigeration equipment and freezers were not yet available, and ice was used instead. Gourmet dessert mainly cooked in the royal kitchen. A high percentage of fat was achieved thanks to the use of heavy cream, which, when whipped, gave a porous and airy structure. The bowl was immediately cooled on an ice-snow pillow, due to which ice crystals did not have time to form in the parfait, the dessert turned out to be delicate, porous and perfect.

French, American and British parfait

Today, not only French parfait is widespread, but also American parfait, in which much more ingredients are mixed. The composition may contain granola, pieces of biscuit, nuts, yogurt, fruits, alcohol and even gelatinous fillers. Such a dessert, as a rule, is not frozen, but chilled for a while on the refrigerator shelf, and decorated with whipped cream before serving. The result is a beautiful multi-layered dessert that looks presentable in a tall glass.

Interestingly, in the British sense, "parfait" is not a dessert dish at all. In the United Kingdom, under this name, you will be served the most delicate pâté made from meat or liver, the taste of which is ennobled by the British with liqueur.

Classic parfait: ingredients

The French parfait contains cream with a fat content of 33% and higher. For a more expressive taste, beaten egg yolks, brewed with hot syrup, are introduced (or the egg mass and sugar are heated in a water bath until thickened).

The mixture is flavored with vanilla, chocolate, coffee, fruit extracts and juices. All of these additives mask the egg flavor and leave behind a pleasant flavor.

Serving dessert

In a professional kitchen, the whipped mixture is packed in a metal split form, consisting of two halves, and frozen for 3-4 hours. For this, there are special forms in the form of an apple, pear, lemon, animal figurines, etc. In France, it is served on dessert plates or bowls.

In more complex recipes multilayer parfait. In this case, it is better to present the dessert in tall glasses so that the structure is better visible. As a rule, ice cream is poured on top with toppings, decorated with berries or covered with a cap of whipped proteins.

More details

Total cooking time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

Preparation

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Heat water in a saucepan, mix with sugar, bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is thick and smooth. Leave to cool - the syrup should be hot, but not boiling.



Beat the yolks with salt and vanilla essence... It can be done by hand or with a mixer, until a lush foam is obtained. As a result, the mass should brighten, become more stable.



Pour in a thin stream sugar syrup in a bowl with whipped yolks, beat the mass continuously. The result should be a foamy, smooth and thick substance. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool.



In a separate container, whip the pre-chilled cream (a prerequisite, it is best to leave it in the refrigerator overnight). Beat them until a thick, stable foam, which, if you turn over the container, does not fall.



Now we mix both masses. You can literally in a couple of clicks with a mixer, or even better with a spatula, so as not to precipitate the cream.



We pour the resulting mixture into molds - at home you can do without special metal molds, use containers that are not afraid of freezing at low temperatures. To make it easier to remove the ice cream, do not forget to line the molds with cling film.



The parfait should sit in the freezer for 2-3 hours. It is advisable to lay crushed ice on the sides and bottom, it will facilitate quick freezing. But do not leave it for too long, ice cream should not be frozen, absolutely you should not leave it overnight, otherwise you will feel small ice crystals. Therefore, correctly calculate the proportions based on the number of persons.



Free from packaging before serving. It can be served separately as it is, or put in portion molds as follows: a part of a frozen dessert, a layer of filling of your choice, again a part of a parfait, a filling, and so on. Top can be poured with topping, decorate fresh berries and sprinkle with colored coconut flakes mixed with crushed nuts. Enjoy the coolness!

The French are perhaps the finest and finest culinary experts in the world, and this has long been no secret. Indeed, most of the exotic recipes were invented by French culinary experts and chefs.

Their various sweets are especially popular among gourmets and connoisseurs of delicacies; one of the most widespread is the most delicious and delicate dessert - parfait.

Recipe and history

Parfait, translated from French, means beautiful, impeccable, and without any doubt, this dessert is worthy of the name. A cold, aromatic delicacy that melts in your mouth - it can be attributed to the highest cuisine.

But there are not only confectionery parfaits. Its recipe, of course, is better known, however, it turns out that parfaits are also made from vegetables, liver and meat. In any case, it should be very fluffy, tender, like a mousse, and served chilled.

Classic

In the classic parfait, the recipe of which is presented in the article, in addition to the main products, which will be discussed below, there are ingredients such as a variety of exotic flavors, various additives: cocoa, chocolate, cinnamon, rum, vanilla and other goodies.

The effect of melting in the mouth is achieved due to the fact that the parfait is initially prepared in such a way that the prepared mixture acquires the required density upon prolonged cooling in the molds.

Parfait at home

Parfait is a classic and far from cheap recipe offered by restaurants, and therefore many housewives believe that it is simply unrealistic to cook it at home. But this is not the case. In fact, there is nothing difficult in making parfait, the recipe of which can be learned by almost everyone. The main thing to remember is that before cooking, all the ingredients that make up your dessert should be cooled to near-frozen state.

American parfait

In our country, the most famous is the American-style parfait. Most often it is a dessert made from several layers of whipped cream and a gelatinous dessert with fruit and berry ingredients. This parfait can also contain nuts, syrups, liqueurs and others.

It is done in special high bowls so that the layers do not mix and are clearly visible from the side. Decorate chocolate sprinkles, coconut flakes, berries, both fresh and frozen.

Cooking parfait: basic recipe

The basis of the confectionery dessert is heavily whipped cream, whites or yolks, sugar, vanilla. Then this mixture is frozen in special molds. Parfait can contain fruits and berries, cocoa, coffee and more.

So, for cooking you will need:

• four chicken yolks;
• salt on the tip of a knife;
• one glass of powdered sugar;
• a quarter glass of hot, but not boiling water;
• 500 ml of high-fat cream, it must be thick and always natural.

Cooking method:

What other ways are there

Now you know the basic method of making this dessert. Let's look at other options. For example, a chocolate parfait, the recipe for which is extremely simple.

In order for your parfait to become chocolate, in basic recipe melted chocolate or cocoa powder is added. If you chose chocolate, then it should be poured into the prepared syrup and stirred, and it is better to mix cocoa with icing sugar.

But berry parfait can be prepared using absolutely any berries - strawberries, wild strawberries, blueberries, currants, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, cranberries and others. They can be canned, frozen, fresh, candied - it all depends on your imagination and taste preferences. Here, berry syrup is added to the basic recipe. To do this, mash a glass of berries, mix it with 1/4 cup of water and cook until boiling, add to the rest of the recipe ingredients. Lay out the same parfait in layers, alternating whole or chopped pieces of berries with a whipped mass, after which everything is frozen for at least 4 hours.

The detailed recipe for this dessert is pretty simple. To prepare it you will need:

• fresh strawberries - 300 g;
• one protein;
• a pinch of salt;
• 50 ml of liquid honey - optional;
• heavy whipped cream - 150 g;
• fresh mint or lemon balm leaves.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the strawberries well and let the water drain.
2. Puree 200 g berries in a blender.
3. Mix the protein with salt and beat until frothy. Gradually pour into the honey, continuing to beat, the mass should be fluffy and shiny.
4. Add two-thirds of the berry puree and whipped cream to the mixture, stir everything thoroughly.
5. Cover the molds with cling film, pour the parfait into it and put everything in the refrigerator for two hours.

Remove the finished parfait from the molds onto dessert plates, garnish it with chopped slices or circles of strawberries, mint leaves and the remaining berry puree.

As you can see, in fact, there is nothing difficult and overly complicated in making parfaits. Plus, you can create your own dessert using just this basic recipe. Instead of berries, you can use fruits, it is possible to combine several ingredients. Experiment and amaze your loved ones and friends exquisite dishes in your own kitchen.

Bon Appetit!

Parfait (parfait, French literally can be translated as "impeccable", "beautiful") is currently a popular cold dessert related to haute cuisine. However, parfaits are also prepared from meat, liver, vegetables - something like a fluffy pate or mousse turns out; non-confectionery parfaits are also served chilled. The word parfait itself has been used in French since 1894. Initially, parfait is a French cuisine dish, but such delights are also popular in the Viennese culinary tradition.

American parfait

American versions of parfait recipes are also known, one of which is the so-called ice cream parfait, ice cream or very chilled whipped cream and some other ingredients are added to it (as the name suggests). Typically, an American parfait is a dessert made with layers of whipped cream and a frozen or gelatinous dessert with other additives such as nuts, yogurt, liqueurs, syrups, and fresh or frozen fruits or berries. Decorated with ice cream parfait with whipped cream. This dish is served in a tall crystal glass or bowl so that all layers are visible.

Unsweetened parfait

Recently, a recipe for spicy parfait has been proposed, which consists of layers of air mashed potatoes with cream, barbecue sauce and baked and then very finely chopped pieces of pork. Also popular is the poultry liver parfait (prepared on a cake of shortcrust pastry). Vegetarians prepare vegetable parfaits (vegetables are mashed and whipped, saturating with air so that the mass is fluffy, then frozen).

How to make a parfait?

Dessert parfait is made from chilled and heavily whipped cream, combined with whites or yolks (not eggs, that is, separately - either with whites or with yolks), sugar and vanilla, then the mixture is frozen in special forms. Parfait can also contain juices, alcohol (cognac or liqueur), fruits and berries, or fruit and berry puree. Vanilla, coffee, cocoa are used as flavoring fillers, grated chocolate(chocolate parfait is a delicious dessert).

So, parfait, the recipe is basic, so to speak, basic.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 fresh yolks chicken eggs;
• 1 pinch of salt;
• about a glass of powdered sugar;
• 50 ml hot water;
• 400 ml of natural heavy milk cream.

Preparation:

Beat the salted egg yolks until they become a stable white mass. In the meantime, we will prepare a thick syrup from powdered sugar and water: heat the water, add the sugar ground to the powder and, stirring, boil until smooth. The syrup should cool slightly, up to 70 degrees. Pour hot syrup into the yolks (without stopping whipping) in a very thin stream. We will beat until the mass cools down to 15-20 degrees. The result will be a thick, foamy mass, smooth and shiny. Whisk the cooled cream until stable peaks. Combine everything, gently mix with a spatula and transfer to a form covered with cling film. The parfait is cooled in freezer at least 4 hours.

About options

To get a chocolate parfait, cocoa or chocolate melted in a water bath is added during the cooking process. It is better to add cocoa by mixing with powdered sugar, and melted first mix chocolate with syrup, and then add the mass to the yolks. Berry parfaits can be prepared with any kind of berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, currants, cranberries, and others. To prepare strawberry parfait or from other berries (according to the season) or frozen for future use, you first need to boil berry syrup (pour a glass of berries and a glass of sugar with 50 ml of water and cook until the berries are soft). If the berries are pre-mash with a fork, the syrup will be ready faster, which means more vitamins will be saved. Pass the syrup through a sieve, then combine with the rest of the ingredients. When laying out the parfait, alternate the layers of dessert with layers of fresh or frozen berries, and then freeze everything.