Iced Berry Parfait

I'm a big fan of eating local produce when possible. I'd love to have my own garden someday, but for the moment I make do with a few planter boxes and make use of the community gardens. Thankfully we also have a  local Farmers Market  here every Sunday, where I can pick up things which we don't grow at the community garden. Plus it's fun to have a nosey at all the cool local things available (the $2.50 pizza slices from The Tin Kitchen are a delicious draw-card too).

I was at the market last week and the Waimate Berry Fruit and Vege stall totally caught my eye, it was brimming with punnets of raspberries. But while it was the raspberries that drew me in, it was actually the Karaka blackberrries that ended up in my shopping bag. I knew they'd be perfect for this kind of dish as they are a great palate cleanser. But I think any type of berries would work well in this recipe so I'm going to head back to the market this week and get some raspberries and give them a go. The parfait has a really light texture to it and goes really well with extra whipped cream. I love when you can create something really decadent with only a few simple ingredients and a few simple steps.

Btw if you are a fan of your local Farmers Market and want to give them some support  you can vote for  them and/or nominate your favourite producer (or stallholder) at http://tastefarmersmarkets.org.nz/

Iced Berry Parfait

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
200-250g berries of your choice (fresh or frozen, both would work fine)
3 egg yolks
1 gelatine sheet
190ml cream, softly whipped
1 and 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kirsch

Method:

Add the sugar and berries to a saucepan (Preferably a heavy-bottomed one). Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves, then bring mixture to the boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Puree the mixture then pass it through a fine sieve to remove any seeds (or skin).

Whisk the egg yolks until they are pale and creamy. Pour on the berry purée and whisk until you get a stiff smooth mousse.

Place the gelatine sheet in a small saucepan with the cold water. Don't turn the element on. Leave it until it softens. Once soft, warm it very briefly (and gently) over the lowest heat until it dissolves.

Add this to the berry mousse.

Fold the mousse into the softly whipped cream and kirsch.

Divide into 4-6 pudding moulds, or a terrine dish. Just be sure to lightly oil the moulds first.

Freeze.

Serves 4-6