National Chocolate Parfait Day - May 1st

did you know???
Chocolate Parfait Day is May 1st
here's a recipe to help you celebrate... ENJOY!!

Chocolate Berry Parfait

Ingredients:

8 oz. high-quality Belgian or Swiss chocolate chips or evenly sized chopped dark chocolate
25 oz. heavy cream
10 large strawberries, sliced in half and stemmed
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/8 cup of water
1/2 pt. fresh raspberries
4 oz. macadamia nuts, chopped and toasted
Whipped cream for garnish
6 whole strawberries

Directions:

Boil all but a cup of the cream and put it in a bowl with the chocolate. Stir with a wire whip until the chocolate is melted and completely mixed in. Refrigerate the mix at least six hours or overnight.

Make the strawberry coulis. The name sounds complicated, but it's actually just a no-cook fruit puree. You can use any kind of fruit that you want for this. Put the sugar, water and berries into the blender and blend until smooth, around 30 seconds. If you like, strain the mix. Then put it into a squeeze bottle or use an iced-tea spoon to layer it in the parfait.

Add the toasted macadamia nuts (hold out a little for the garnish) and the reserved cup of heavy cream to the chilled chocolate cream, and whip the mixture with a handheld or bowl mixer until the cream is firm.

Fill a pastry tube with the chocolate cream and then press out a swirl of chocolate into the bottom of a champagne flute. Alternate layers of coulis, a few fresh raspberries and chocolate cream. Complete five more parfaits.

Before serving, garnish with whipped cream topped with a whole strawberry dipped in chocolate and rolled in chopped, toasted macadamia nuts.

... for photo and printer-friendly recipe go to: http://www.homebakedmemories.com/pf_pages/pfChocBerryParfait.htm

Find more great tips, ideas, and homemade, homebaked memories at http://www.homebakedmemories.com

Feel free to join us and share your own ideas...