Chocolate-Cherry Parfaits with Mascarpone Cream

Mint goes with it.

Fruit goes with it.

Nuts go with it.

Even chiles go with it.

Heck, just about everything pairs well with it!

Of course I am speaking about C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E.

Most of us have a love affair with chocolate and can’t imagine life without it. This month’s members of the Recipe Redux were given the task to create a recipe with our favorite chocolate match. I made Chocolate-Cherry Parfaits with Mascarpone Cream, a perfect bring-along to this month’s “Drinks and Dessert” neighborhood party.

I added a splash of rose water to the mascarpone cream for a little hint of, “hey, what’s that flavor?” effect. If I would have thought about it ahead of time, I might have added a couple of drops of red food coloring to the mascarpone cream for a pink rose color. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!


Chocolate-Cherry Parfaits with Mascarpone Cream (recipe inspired from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

⅓ cup sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

2 ½ cups fat-free milk

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate chips

½ cup mascarpone cheese

½ cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. rose water (optional)

red food coloring (optional)

½ cup frozen cherries, thawed

course finishing sugar (optional)


Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl stirring well.
   
   
2. Combine ½ cup milk and egg yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk
   
   
3. Heat remaining 2 cups milk in a medium saucepan until tiny bubbles form (do not let boil).
   
   
4. Slowly stir egg mixture into sugar mixture.
   
   
5. Gradually add half hot milk to egg/sugar mixture constantly stirring with a whisk.
   
   
6. Add this hot milk/egg/sugar mixture to the rest of the hot milk in pan. Bring to a boil.
   
   
7. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with whisk (learn from my impatience- this step is important to get pudding to set up). Remove from heat.
   
   
8. Add vanilla and chocolate, stir until chocolate melts.
   
   
9. Spoon pudding into individual containers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
   
   
10. To make Mascarpone Cream: In a medium bowl, blend together the mascarpone, cream, sugar, rose water (optional) and food coloring (optional) until soft peaks form.
    
    
11. To bring it all together: spoon cream over chilled chocolate puddings, top with thawed cherries and sprinkle with decorative sugar (optional).

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