Blueberry Almond Parfait

Fresh berry parfaits are the ideal summer dessert because they are so light and refreshing, but what I love most about them is how they combine various textures and flavors in every spoonful. A simple formula for a classic summer parfaits starts with a layer of cake 

topped with berries and then sandwiched with a cream of some sort. For this Blueberry Almond Parfait, I made a simple almond frangipane cake, which is very moist, slightly dense and pairs beautifully with fresh berries. I chose blueberries for my fruit, 

cooking one-third of them briefly with a little sugar and then folding in the remaining third with a little lemon juice, which gives them a slightly saucy consistency. For my cream layer, I kept thing simple by whipping up some cream with mascarpone cheese and sugar. 

Though it slipped my mind today, I usually serve this parfait with a biscotti or almond cookie or some sort, though you could also top it off with some lightly toasted almond slices for a bit of crunch.

Lemon Tart in a Cornmeal Crust with Mascarpone Cream and Fresh Raspberries

Though chocolate is unquestionably my favorite flavor, lemon is a close second, and I love to create new lemon desserts or variations on old classics. I have a favorite lemon tart that I make throughout

 the year, and I simply change-up the crust and topping to suit the season. Since summer provides an opportunity to showcase wonderful fresh berries—strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and 

blackberries—I decided to top my vibrant tart with a rich Mascarpone Cream and a sprinkling of fresh-picked farmers’ market raspberries. This time I chose to encase the filling in a 

cornmeal crust, which has a nutty flavor that complements the tart filling and sweet-tart berries. If you like, you can spread the Mascarpone Cream over the tart right before serving and top it with 

the berries. Any fresh berry—especially wild blueberries—will make a wonderful summertime topping.

P.S. Though I don't often get personal in this blog, I feel obliged to tell you all that my beloved cat Jemal died last week, and life has lost some of its luster. He was my best friend for 13 years, and stuck by me like glue. In the morning he would wait patiently for me to get dressed, so that he could help me put on my shoes and engage in some roughhousing—his favorite part of the day. Jemal was also a

gourmand—he loved to eat more than just about anything. Jemal loved the taste of cheese-flavored popcorn, in particular, and would wait until I finished eating it so that he could lick my fingers. One terrible day, he ate a bunch of pistachio shells, unbeknownst to me, and stopped eating entirely. The vet was stymied and, in the meantime, Jemal’s liver began to fail. Specialists, surgery, a feeding tube and $9,000 later, my boy was back to his old self, and he lived happily for another seven years. Life was always an adventure with Jemal, as in the time he somehow managed to disable a bird and bring it into our apartment as a new play-friend. Or when he got pinned behind the hot water heater at a relative’s house for 45 minutes before we could get him free. He was a real character and lived life to the fullest. His spirit will always dwell in my heart. In the meantime, we still have Jemal's sister, Emily, who seems to be thrilled with his demise. After all these years, she's now Top Cat, and she couldn't be happier. Life goes on.

A Classic Italian Pick-Me-Up

There’s a good reason why you can almost always find tiramisu on a restaurant’s dessert menu. It’s really quite delicious. And it’s especially good on a hot summer night, at the end of a light meal – creamy mascarpone and rum-flavored mousse, paired with 

espresso-soaked sponge – it’s one of those indulgences that never feels too rich or too heavy as you’re enjoying it. Espresso and rum are certainly two of my favorite pick-me-ups. This recipe is based on a tirimusu cake I developed for The Cake Book; I turned the cake 

into a parfait, using layers of genoise to soak up the espresso syrup. If you’re pressed for time (or lazy, as I frequently am), feel free to use store-bought ladyfingers or sponge cake in place of the genoise. There’s a lot going on in this dessert, and I doubt your guests will  

be able to tell whether or not your sponge is homemade.

Tiramisu Parfaits

Makes 6 parfaits

Classic Genoise:

1 cup (3.5 oz/100 g) sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs

¾ cup (5.2 oz/150 g) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons (3 oz/85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Espresso Syrup:

1 cup (240 ml) hot espresso or strongly brewed coffee

1/4 cup (1.7 oz/50 g) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mascarpone Cream:

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup (5.3 oz/150 g) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) water

1 pound (454 g) mascarpone cheese

3 tablespoons (45 ml) dark rum

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

Dutch-processed cocoa powder for dusting top of parfaits

Chocolate-covered espresso beans

Make the Classic Genoise:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of 2 9-inch round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar by hand. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the eggs are warm. Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer stand and, using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.

4. Resift one-third of the flour mixture over the batter and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula. In two more additions, sift in the remaining flour mixture, again folding in gently. Have the melted butter in a small bowl. Scoop about 3/4 cup of the cake batter into the bowl and stir until blended. Fold this mixture into the remaining cake batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans.

5. Bake the cakes for 12 to 15 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans set on wire racks for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack and cool.

Make the Espresso Syrup:

6. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the espresso and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the vanilla extract and set the syrup aside.

Make the Mascarpone Cream:

7. In a medium stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and water. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and continue to whisk constantly, until the mixture thickens and is hot to the touch, about 7 minutes. Immediately scrape the mixture into a cold bowl. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until completely cool, about 15 minutes.

8. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone cheese at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually beat in the cooled egg yolk mixture and rum and mix until blended.

9. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract at high speed until it forms soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture.

Assemble the parfaits:

10. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter to fit the diameter of your parfait or verrine glasses, cut out 12 rounds from the cakes. Arrange one of the rounds in the bottom of a serving glass and brush it generously with Espresso Syrup. Top with a layer of the Mascarpone Cream. Top with another cake round and brush with more syrup. Fill the glass with more cream, smoothing the top. Repeat with remaining cake, syrup and cream to make 6 parfaits. Dust the top of each parfait with sifted cocoa powder. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans.