“A verrine? What’s a verrine?” the conversation would always start, furrowed foreheads and confused, half-squinting eyes included.

Handing out a glass to each member of the family, each piece of dinnerware mismatched and slightly different from the last, it was a bold move to present something like this. It would have taken just a plain old slice of chocolate cake to please this crowd, but oh no, going the easy route for a family gathering just wouldn’t do. Such a great opportunity to ~~test~~ feed my recipes to a large, more varied audience was simply too tempting to pass up!

I struggled to define it, mumbling something about layers of sweet components, but then realized that there are savory verrines out there, too.

“Okay, well you could also call it a parfait…” That’s less intimidating, right? Faces all around seemed to relax a bit and approach with less trepidation, but still, this blood-red custard topped with a fluffy white cloud lacked a name.

Chilled and refreshing, pureed raspberries cooked with a touch of agave conceal a handful of diced crystallized ginger at the very bottom, making for a spicy surprise. Crunchy, chocolate-coated rice cereal is sprinkled on top, lending a crispy contrast to the previous smooth layer. Finally, my standard coconut whipped cream tops things off, and a few shreds of lightly toasted, fancy flaked coconut crown the whole piece. In short, it’s delicious, easy to eat and enjoy, but complicated to explain.

But some of the best things are seemingly inexplicable like that. Just the other day, I got some equally inexplicable and astonishing news: It seems I’ve been nominated for 3 different categories of the 2009 Veggie Awards! Vying for the title of Favorite Blog, Favorite Cookbook Author, and Favorite VegNews Column, I’m still struggling to find appropriate words, but for now at least, let’s start with… Wow, and of course, THANK YOU! I know I’m up against some stiff competition in all arenas here, so I need your help: Please, please, go vote for me!

And then once you do that, make sure you hop right on back here, and get the recipe for my equally puzzling, but gratifying parfait. Maybe you’ll even have the creativity to think of an appropriate name when you serve it!

Yield: Makes 8 - 12 Servings

Raspberry-Ginger Parfaits

Name: Raspberry-Ginger Parfaits
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 Cups Raspberries, Fresh or Frozen; 1/3 Cup Light Agave Nectar; 1/4 Cup Orange Juice; 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch; 1 1/2 Teaspoon Agar Powder; 1/2 Cup Finely Diced Crystallized Ginger; 3 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped; 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil; 2 1/2 Cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal; 1/2 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder; 1/4 Teaspoon Salt; 1 (25.5-Ounce) Can Coconut Milk, Chilled; 1/4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

Raspberry Pudding:

4 Cups Raspberries, Fresh or Frozen
1/3 Cup Light Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 1/2 Teaspoon Agar Powder
1/2 Cup Finely Diced Crystallized Ginger

Chocolate Crunch:

3 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 1/2 Cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
1/2 Teaspoon Instant Coffee Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Coconut Whipped Creme:

1 (25.5-Ounce) Can Coconut Milk, Chilled
1/4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Using a blender or food processor, thoroughly puree the raspberries so that the mixture is as smooth as possible. Pass it through a fine mesh strainer, and discard the solids. You should be left with about 2 2/3 cup of seedless raspberry puree; if you end up with less, add apple juice until you reach that amount.
In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the seedless puree, agave, orange juice, cornstarch, and agar vigorously to prevent any of the dry ingredients from clumping. Once homogeneous, set the sauce pan over medium heat, and stir occasionally. Meanwhile, distribute about 1 tablespoon of the diced ginger into the bottom of each of your (8 – 12) parfait glasses.
When the mixture just begins to boil, quickly turn of the heat, and pour an equal amount into each glass. Allow the raspberry layer to cool at room temperature until solidified (about 1 hour) before transferring all of the glasses into the refrigerator to chill.
To make the chocolate crunch, place the chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe dish, and heat them for about 1 minute, checking at 30 seconds to ensure that the mixture doesn’t burn. Stir well until completely smooth and all the pieces of chocolate have melted.
In a large bowl, combine the brown rice cereal, coffee powder, and salt. Pour the chocolate mixture in, and mix well with a large spatula, being careful not to crush the cereal. Once well coated, pour the cereal out onto a silicone baking mat, and spread it out into as thin a layer as possible. Place this in the refrigerator to solidify (about 30 minutes.)
For the coconut whipped cream, do NOT shake the can of coconut milk. Simply open the can and use a large spoon to skim off all of the thick cream on top. You will be left with some thin coconut milk in the bottom of the can, but you can use that in another recipe. Place the coconut cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla in your stand mixer, and whip on high for about 5 minutes, until thick and fluffy like whipped cream.
To assemble your parfaits, crumble pieces of the chocolate crunch into each glass to form an even layer. Spoon the coconut whipped creme on top, and garnish with lightly toasted coconut flakes and/or additional fresh raspberries if desired.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 223Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 4gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

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.

If you’ve had the good fortune to get this month’s VegNews magazine already, then by now you must be completely absorbed in this fantastic issue- And I’m not just saying that because one of those articles is my own. Jam packed with delicious recipes, engaging text, and even a gift guide for the cruelty-free sweetie with it all, what more could you ask for? Well, even if you can’t think of a thing, I’ll still toss in a freebie, just because I like you guys so much.

“Twisted Traditions,” a short piece with two recipes on traditional flavors presented in unique ways, was a lot of fun to write. Unfortunately, it was cut a bit short to fit the space nicely, and so two whole recipes had to be tossed. You can still find that pomegranate caramel sauce that was hinted about as an accompaniment to the white gingerbread, though!

I really love gingerbread, and usually the darker the loaf, the better the flavor, but this is one version that is a notable exception. It certainly doesn’t look like your grandma’s gingerbread, and you may actually find that it tastes even better!

As for that last recipe that went missing entirely, I decided to give an unlikely fruit it’s time to shine as a holiday dessert. While I’ve never been a fan of cranberry sauce, this pudding restores those tart winter berries to their rightful place at the end of the meal. Accented with a hint of orange, this toothsome treat may just convert some of the harshest cranberry critics.

Yield: Serves 6 – 8

Cranberry Pudding

Accented with a hint of orange, this simple pudding proves that cranberries are good for more than just a dinnertime condiment and are worthy of a spot on the dessert menu.

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

4 Cups (16 Ounces) Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Orange Juice
2 Tablespoon Orange Zest
1 Cup Plain or Vanilla Soymilk
2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

Instructions

Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest in a medium pot over moderate heat, and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. The berries should have begun to break down a bit, but you can also help them along by crushing them against the sides of the pot with the back of your spoon.
Thoroughly whisk together the soymilk and cornstarch, making sure that there are no lumps, and pour the mixture into your pot. Continue to cook until bubbles just begin to break on the surface, turning off the heat just before it reaches a boil. Stir in the cloves.
Although it may seem to be on the watery side, it will continue to thicken as it cools. Chill thoroughly for at least 3 hours before serving.