Raspberry-Mascarpone Parfaits with Amaretti
Amaretti are delicate Italian cookies with a bitter almond flavor. To crush them for these parfaits, put the cookies in a sealable plastic bag and gently crush with the bottom of a cup or with a rolling pin. A couple of passes and the crumbs will have a perfect coarse texture. Light and airy, they add delicious crunch when layered with mascarpone cheese and fresh raspberries.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (12 oz./375 g) mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) heavy cream
- 4 oz. (125 g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3 cups (12 oz./375 g) raspberries, plus more for garnish
- 18 amaretti cookies, coarsely crushed, plus more crushed
cookies for garnish
Directions:
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone and cream on medium speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. Place the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over but not touching barely simmering water and heat, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Add the melted chocolate to the cream mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended and slightly thickened, about 45 seconds. (If the white chocolate forms small lumps, briefly place the pan over simmering water again, then beat until smooth.)
Have ready six 8-fl.-oz. (250-ml) glasses. Put a heaping 2 Tbs. of the raspberries in the bottom of each glass. Spoon a heaping 2 Tbs. of the cream mixture over the berries. Sprinkle with a heaping 1 Tbs. of the crushed cookies. Repeat with layers of the raspberries, cream mixture and cookies, ending with the cream mixure, to make as many layers as you can in each glass.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours; the longer the parfaits chill, the more the cookie crumbs will soften. Garnish with raspberries and crushed cookies and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Dessert of the Day, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2013).