Strawberries and Cream Parfaits with Black Pepper and Olive Oil
Strawberries, mascarpone cream, good olive oil, cracked black pepper. Simple ingredients that create an unexpected yet unforgettable dessert.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Mascarpone Cream
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese chilled
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Strawberries
- 1 pound strawberries hulled and quartered
- 2 tablespoon olive oil the good stuff
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon sugar
Parfaits
- 4 shortbread cookies
- ½ cup raspberry coulis optional, *see note for easy subs
- ½ pint raspberry sorbet Talenti is my fave
- drizzle of olive oil
- few cracks of black pepper
- mint leaves for garnish optional
Instructions
- Macerate the strawberries. One hour before serving, combine strawberries, olive oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon black pepper and gently toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.
- Make mascarpone cream. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat all mascarpone cream ingredients until soft peaks form. (Cream may be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)
- Assemble parfaits: Add one scoop of cream to 4 individual glasses or small bowls. Divide half the strawberries among 4 glasses. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of coulis, if using, over strawberries. Spoon another scoop of cream over strawberries to cover. Add another drizzle of coulis, add remaining strawberries. Top with a scoop of sorbet, drizzle of olive oil, and a crack of black pepper, tuck in pieces of the shortbread cookie.
Notes
The raspberry sorbet added an unexpected balance to the pepper and cream but this dessert is equally divine without the added raspberry components. For an even lower lift version, skip the mascarpone cream and add a layer of store bought whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Remember to grab your favorite shortbread cookies for a buttery pop of texture.
*To substitute raspberry coulis: Use seedless raspberry jam thinned with a bit of lemon juice and warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds.