Parfaits can sometimes be boring, but tome, the key to making any parfait special is to add different layers of texture and flavours. In these jars are layers of vanilla sponge, sweet and tangy lemon curd, vanilla whipped cream, bouncy jelly, and crisp lavender meringue pieces.
Makes 6
Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Cake
136g(1/2 cup and 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
200g(1 cup) granulated sugar
2large eggs, room temperature
1tspvanilla
180g(1 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1/4 tspsalt
120ml(1/2 cup) whole milk
60g(1/4 cup) full-fat sour cream
Lemon Cream
150ml(1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx. two large lemons
2large eggs
2large egg yolks
150g(3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1/4tspsalt
227g(1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch cubes
Vanilla Whipped Cream
120ml(1/2 cup) heavy whipping cream
2tbsppowdered sugar
1 tspvanilla
Agar Agar Jelly Cubes
1tsppowdered kanten (agar agar)
240ml(1 cup) water
2 tbspgranulated sugar
Lavender Meringue Kisses
1large egg white
50g(1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1/8tspculinary grade lavender , ground (*you can add more or less depending on how strong you like the flavour!)
Instructions
Vanilla Sponge Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1minute. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together milk and sour cream.
With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients and half of the wet ingredients. Allow batter to mix for 30 seconds before adding the remainder of the ingredients. Mix on low until not more dry ingredients can be seen.
Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 22 – 25 minutes.
Once cake has cooled, use a cookie cutter the same size as the body of the jar and cut out circles from the layer of cake. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake into two circles. Each parfait will have two layers of cake.
Lemon Cream
In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk to combine.
Transfer the bowl to the top of a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler.
Continue whisking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 7– 10 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the heat and while whisking, add in butter, a few cubes at a time. Whisk until all the butter has been added and the mixture is fully combined.Chill the lemon cream until ready to use.
Transfer lemon cream into a piping bag to assemble the parfait. You can also use a spoon to layer the cream.
Vanilla Whipped Cream
In a bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat heavy cream on high until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk lightly to combine.
Chill whipped cream until ready to use.
Transfer cream into a piping bag to assemble the parfait. You can also use a spoon to layer the cream.
Agar Agar Jelly Cubes
In a small pot over medium heat, combine kanten powder and water. Allow mixture to a boil and whisk to dissolve the kanten powder. Once the kanten powder has dissolved, add sugar and whisk to combine.
Pour jelly mixture into a loaf pan (or any small pan) and allow it to set. Kanten or agar agar can set at room temperature, but you can speed up the process by transferring it to the refrigerator.
Cut jelly into ½-inch cubes.
Lavender Meringue Kisses
Preheat oven to 250F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine egg white and sugar. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler. Whisk the mixture as it heats up to prevent the eggs from cooking. Whisk egg mixture 3 to 5 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl.
In the bowl of stand mixture with a whisk attachment, whisk mixture on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 -5 minutes. Fold in ground lavender.
Transfer meringue into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe meringue kisses onto parchment paper-lined pan.
Bake meringues for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn off oven and let meringues stand in cooling oven 1 hour. Meringues can be made one day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Assembly
To assemble, place one cake round at the bottom of the jar. Add a layer of lemon cream, followed by a layer of whipped cream. Gently place second layer of cake and another layer of lemon cream. Add jelly cubes. Top with meringues and edible flowers to garnish.