Summer Berry Shortbread Parfait

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Summer Berry Parfaits with Shortbread Crumble

This past week, we’ve had several days of hot weather, which has made the husband a very grumpy human being. I think that’s probably due to the fact I’ve been feeding him a lot of salads for dinner (so he might be slowly starving) and forcing him to watch cheese-tastic movies on Netflix (which I think he secretly enjoys).

Even though I am one of those people who love hot weather, I have needed to find other ways to curb our craving for sweets that doesn’t require using the oven or stove, and this easy to assemble fruit parfait hits the spot when we want something with a little more substance than ice cream or sorbet. Fortunately we're both rabid fruit eaters, specifically strawberries and raspberries.

Typically, I find myself enjoying parfaits for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack when I need a pick-me-up. I’ve gotten lazy, or perhaps in the habit, of buying preassembled parfaits from the grocery store, and that’s for the simple fact that if my husband takes one to work in the morning, I’m not worried about him losing the container somewhere and never bringing it back. He’s highly skilled at losing spoons, so I’d rather not send him to work with something else that he’ll never bring back. But today's recipe isn’t a breakfast recipe, in fact, it’s a great summertime dessert because it has alcohol and crushed cookies in it.

Sounds crazy, but I really enjoy summer berries with a sambuca-infused whipped cream. If you don’t like sambuca, you can always use an orange-liqueur or skip the booze altogether, but unless I’ve recently had a medical procedure that prohibits the consumption of alcohol, I say, why the heck not?!

I simply adore how simple this parfait recipe is to assemble. If the weather isn’t too hot, I’ll bake some shortbread cookies like the ones I use in this Pinot Noir Pudding but if using the oven is out of the question, I’ll pick up some shortbread cookies on my way home.

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Summer Berry Shortbread Parfaits

by Rae Goldman Jun-20-2018

A simple dessert that is easily prepared for a casual dinner party that doesn't require the ​use of the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup, sliced strawberries
• 1 cup, pitted cherries* optional
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 3 tablespoons sambuca or orange liqueur
• 2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup marscapone)
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup broken shortbread cookies

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine all the fruit, half the superfine sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the Sambuca or orange liqueur if using. Stir together, gently smashing some of the berries. Set aside.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, liqueur, and sugar until the whipped cream holds soft peaks. Set aside.Divide half the fruit mixture amongst 6 individual serving dishes, add a dollop of whipped cream, and about 1 tablespoon of broken shortbread cookies. Repeat the steps to make two layers in each dish. Serve.

Details

Prep time: 0 hrs 10 mins Cook time: 0 hrs 0 mins Total time: 0 hrs 10 mins Yield: 6 servings