May the record show that despite previous protestation, I honestly do have nothing against the union of strawberry and rhubarb. They’re a great couple who seem genuinely happy together, so who am I to break them up? Sure, it wouldn’t hurt for either to have a bit more alone time, maybe see a few other people on the side, but I won’t begrudge their magnetism to each other. Rather, it might be wiser to invite a new ingredient or two to the party in order to liven up the typical date night.

White chocolate cheesecake is the ideal sweet compliment to their tart, fruity flavor. Flecked with vanilla bean, lusciously rich and creamy, it seemed a shame to bake that base into a solid brick, so a simple parfait was in order. Crunchy graham cracker streusel makes up the base, lightly spiced with a touch of warm, comforting cinnamon, immediately followed by the rhubarb compote, infused with cardamom, ginger, and a hint of zesty orange. The real star of the show, the white chocolate cheesecake mousse, comes together in a snap, and is decadent enough to go well with just about any fruit or cookie combo. A dice of fresh strawberries on top keeps things light and refreshing, but it’s hard to resist one final flourish of mousse to top it all off.

It’s spring in a glass, complete with those star-crossed lovers strawberry and rhubarb, a delicious duo if there ever was one.

Yield: Makes 6 - 8 Servings

Spring Cheesecake Parfaits

Name: Spring Cheesecake Parfaits
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 9 Rectangle Graham Crackers (1 Sleeve); 6 Tablespoons Vegan Butter, Melted; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon; 1/4 Teaspoon Salt; 1 1/2 Pounds Chopped Rhubarb, Divided; 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar; 1/2 Cup Orange Juice; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger; 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom; 6 Ounces Vegan White Chocolate; 1/4 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk; 2 8-Ounce Packages Vegan Cream Cheese; 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract*; 1/4 Teaspoon Salt; 1/2 - 1 Pound Fresh Strawberries, Hulled and Diced

This no-bake parfait layers spiced graham streusel, rhubarb compote, and white chocolate cheesecake mousse for a fresh spring treat. Finished with strawberries and a final dollop of mousse, it’s a light yet decadent dessert.

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Streusel:

9 Rectangle Graham Crackers (1 Sleeve)
6 Tablespoons Vegan Butter, Melted
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Rhubarb Compote:

1 1/2 Pounds Chopped Rhubarb, Divided
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom

White Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse:

6 Ounces Vegan White Chocolate
1/4 Cup Plain Non-Dairy Milk
2 8-Ounce Packages Vegan Cream Cheese
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract*
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 - 1 Pound Fresh Strawberries, Hulled and Diced

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
Break up the graham crackers and toss the pieces into your food processor. Pulse until mostly broken down, with a few larger chunks remaining. Add in the melted vegan butter, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse to combine. Spread out the resulting crumbs into small clumps on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown. Let cool.
Meanwhile, you can get the compote started. Set a medium saucepan on the stove over moderate heat, and mix together 1 pound of the rhubarb along with the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, and let the rhubarb stew for 10 – 15 minutes, until broken down and jammy. Add in the remaining measure of rhubarb, and simmer for an additional 5 – 10 minutes, just until tender. This will give the compote a nice variety of textures. Let cool and chill thoroughly before using.
Finally, for the cheesecake portion, place the chunks of chips of white chocolate in a microwave-safe dish, and pour the non-dairy milk on top. Microwave for 1 – 2 minutes at 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly between each heating. White chocolate can be stubborn about melting, so be patient and keep a close eye on the mixture so that it doesn’t burn.
Place the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and salt in your (washed and dried) food processor, and blend to combine. Pour in the melted white chocolate, and thoroughly puree, until completely smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. If it seems to loose to pipe, chill for 30 minutes before proceeding.
To assemble your parfaits, find 6 – 8 matching glasses, and start with a spoonful or two of the streusel at the bottom. Top that with a good layer of the compote, and then pipe or spoon over a layer of the cheesecake mousse. Cover that with an even layer of diced strawberries, and if desired, finish with one final dollop of mousse. Garnish with halved strawberries and mint leaves for extra flair. Serve chilled.

Notes

*I used my homemade white chocolate, which is what gave it those lovely vanilla bean specks. If you opt for the store-bought alternative, you may wish to use vanilla bean paste or 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped, for the same visual effect.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 527Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 282mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 3gSugar: 35gProtein: 8g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

Just imagine, if you would, the results of relentless raspberry hunting for a full week, in a heavily-fruited area. Overflowing buckets of raspberries line the shelves of my fridge, and sheets of fresh berries to be frozen are endlessly rotating in and out of the freezer. Even with my voracious appetite, chowing down on a solid pint per day, minimum, there’s no way all of these edible treasures could be eaten as is before they spoil. Alarmed at how quickly the white fur has already begun to appear in spots and patches over the oldest batch, there’s no choice but to whip up some dessert to use up a greater volume of these gems, and fast. It’s a rough job, but somebody’s got to do it!

Such perfect little berries seem to call for simple applications, as there’s little that can be done to make them even better than they already are. Parfaits, verrines, and trifles immediately come to mind, and have the added bonus of typically being no-bake fare, so there’s no need to heat up the kitchen. With the oppressive heat and humidity that has been lingering through the weeks, every little bit helps! Plus, the final dessert is chilled down to a cool, refreshing temperature, sure to take the edge off one’s hunger and thirst all at once.

Matcha and raspberries are a match made in heaven if you ask me, the slight bitterness and tartness from each echoing a common ethos. And then chocolate, well, chocolate just goes with everything. Although the chocolate pudding lining the bottom is nothing special on its own, it simply provides the depth, richness, and creaminess that is so essential to a well-balanced parfait. Semi-solid cubes of matcha pudding up the ante, lending just a bit more texture, and visual interest. Then of course, those flawless wild raspberries are mounded on top, and the whole production is crowned with a soft, fudgy brownie cookie.

With a dessert like this, I don’t think I’ll have any problem using up all of my raspberries in no time at all.

Yield: Makes 4 – 6 Servings

Chocolate, Matcha, and Raspberry Parfait

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

Matcha Cubes:

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons Arrowroot
1 Teaspoons Powdered Agar Agar
1 Teaspoons Matcha
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Juice
1/3 Cup Birch Beer
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Brownie Cookies:

3/4 Cup Vegan Butter
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
3/4 Cup Vanilla Vegan Yogurt
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Pinch Salt

To Assemble:

Chocolate Pudding, Chilled
1 – 2 Cups Fresh Raspberries

Instructions

For the matcha cubes, lightly grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Begin by whisking together the sugar, arrowroot, agar, and matcha together in a medium sauce pan to equally distribute all of the ingredients throughout. Slowly drizzle in just enough coconut milk to create a thick paste, and stir well to ensure that there are no lumps remaining. Add in the rest of the coconut milk, along wit the apple juice and birch beer, and whisk until smooth. Place on the stove over medium heat, and whisk gently until the mixture comes to a full boil, at which point it should feel significantly thicker. Take off the heat, and whisk in vanilla.
Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf pan, and let sit undisturbed at room temperature for at least two hours. Do not be tempted to hasten the cooling process by placing the pan in the fridge, as rapidly chilling agar will make for a weaker, watery gel. Only after it has reach room temperature can you cover it with plastic wrap and move into the fridge.
For the brownie cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan and set aside.
Thoroughly cream together the margarine and sugar using the paddle attachment in your stand mixer. Once smooth and homogeneous, add in the cocoa powder, followed immediately by the soy yogurt. All the mixer to work for about a minute on low speed, and then introduce the flour and baking powder together. Start on a slow speed, but once most of the dry ingredients are incorporated, turn it up to high and beat the mixture for about one minute. Add in the vanilla and salt, and beat briefly to combine.
Transfer the mixture in big dollops to your prepared baking pan. Now, here’s the messy part- Thoroughly grease your hands, and press the cookie batter evenly into the bottom of the pan. It’s a very sticky, squishy mixture, so be prepared to get in there and get dirty! Once the surface of the cookie dough is smooth and level, place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 – 18 minutes, until it no longer appears shiny and no longer feels wet when tapped. Let cool completely, and then cut out shapes as desired. Try to keep the shapes fairly small, as larger ones are more likely to break or crumble.
To assemble, place a dollop of chocolate pudding in the bottom of each parfait lass. Turn the matcha gel out onto a cutting board, and slice it into equally sized cubes. Place a handful of cubes into each glass, and top with raspberries as desired. Finish each glass with a brownie cookie.