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Try a patriotic dessert for the 4th

Photo by LYNN KESSEL

These impressive, flag-inspired desserts will add some patriotic color to any patriotic-themed dinner table or barbeque. This easy parfait layers strawberry puree, mascarpone and white chocolate and blueberries for a refreshing, no-bake dessert.

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By LYNN KESSEL

Tribune columnist

Published: July 1, 2009

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Lynn Kessel

Wedding bells were ringing across the land in June, signaling upcoming weddings and, of course, bridal showers. My phone rang as well.

Last month, my friend Connie called me with an S.O.S. She needed a little help with a shower she was throwing for 24 guests at her home in Sundance. She told me the married couple-to-be would be walking to the altar in California on the Fourth of July.

Connie and her husband, Mike, know how to entertain grandly. They've hosted fundraising shindigs with as many as 100 people gathered at their lovely out-in-the-country home.

Connie calls it "fun stress."

Mike has seen her in action enough times that he knows just to go along with her preparations, offering help in any way he can. The man knows his way around a grill, too. In fact, he's a barbecue connoisseur of sorts, which could be the subject of an entire column itself. But I digress.

By the time Connie and I got together, she had a red-white-and-blue, patriotic-themed luncheon planned in her head. Since I had worked with Connie before, I knew my job was mainly for moral and preparation support, and to make a dessert of some kind.

Handing me a Martha Stewart Living magazine, Connie asked if I'd be interested in preparing something like the red-, white-and-blue parfaits photographed in the magazine. She wanted to serve them with her casual lunch buffet.

Martha's flag-inspired recipe called for de-stemmed, fresh, red currants, a vanilla-infused panna cotta and layer of blueberries.

Now it's a challenge to find red currants at all in this part of the country. And, the only panna cotta I'd made was put out of its misery by sliding it down the garbage disposal.

We knew we might be in over our heads using Martha's fussy ingredients. So we decided to simplify and try something else. Ah ... Jello.

Not just plain Jello but a layering of strawberry puree and sugar-free gelatin, topped with an easy-to-make concoction of mascarpone, white chocolate and heavy cream. Following Martha's lead, we topped both with a layer of fresh blueberries.

Not able to locate where I placed my "turn-of-the-century glasses" like Martha had, I decided to use decorative, half-pint Mason jars, which lent themselves well to the summer picnic-like theme.

The creative effort paid off. Connie said 20 out of 24 guests asked for the recipe.

I'm sure Martha would have been beaming in her airy, white, loose-weave linens.

PATRIOTIC PARFAITS

Red layer

3/4- cup boiling water

1 package (3-ounce) sugar free strawberry-banana gelatin

Ice cubes

1/2- cup cold water

1 cup pureed strawberries

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water into dry gelatin, stir at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add enough ice cubes to cold water to measure 1 1/4 cups. Add to gelatin and stir until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining ice. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Gently stir in strawberries. Pour evenly into parfait or half-pint mason jars. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

White layer

8-ounce container mascarpone cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 ounces white Ghiradelli chocolate, coarsely chopped

Blueberries

Fresh mint, optional

Sliced strawberry, optional

In a bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, briefly beat together the mascarpone and heavy cream until smooth, about 10 seconds. Place the white chocolate in a glass container and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted, stirring until smooth.

Add the still-hot melted white chocolate to the cream. Beat with the mixer on medium speed until well blended and slightly thickened, about 45 seconds. Pipe or spoon the mixture evenly into parfait glasses on top of the chilled strawberry mixture.

To serve, top each parfait with blueberries, a dollop of the remaining cheese mixture and a sprig of mint and slice of strawberry.

Makes 10 servings.

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com. For more of her recipes, visit southshore.tbo.com and enter the search words: Lynn Kessel, or look for her blog at www.lynnkessel.blogspot.com. Readers are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes comment

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