I wanted some pretty strawberry parfait cups for my daughter’s tea party, and kept trying to think of what kinds of cake, cream, and sauces I wanted to layer in the glasses. As there were already going to be quite a few cakes, cookies, and treats for the tea, I didn’t want to make these too rich and time consuming to make.
Finally I arrived to the conclusion that simplest was best– just strawberries and cream.
These days, there are always many who need vegetarian, lactose-free, or vegan options, so here are some options for the “cream” part.
Cream Options:
*Whipped Dairy Cream-sweetened with a touch of sugar, maple syrup or honey and dash of vanilla (optional)
*Non-Dairy Whipped Topping– better ones like truwhip, without high fructose corn syrup
* Vanilla Yogurt, dairy or non-dairy
* Combination of sweetened dairy or non-dairy whipped cream + dairy or non-dairy yogurt
* Cashew or Macadamia Nut Cream– soak 1 c. nuts in water for 2-4 hours. Drain. Blend in a high speed blender with 1/2 c. water, 1-2 T. maple syrup, dash of salt, and splash of vanilla until smooth. Adjust amount of water according how thick you want your cream. (Yields approx. 1-3/8 cups)
* Whipped Coconut Cream– Chill two cans of full-fat coconut milk overnight. Open and remove only the solidified cream on top. Discard or save the liquid for another use. Add 2-4 T. powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla (optional). Use a hand beater or standing mixer to whip until fluffy.
Tiny (6 oz) cups of pure joy! (Hint: If your berries are too tart, mix them up with a little sweetener first)
We had a couple of guests who are lactose intolerant, so I did the easy and used truwhip.
These delicious cups turned out gorgeous, and were a snap to throw together.
