Bay Leaf, Lemon Curd & Mascarpone Parfait: Recipe

I love experimenting with sweets and have mixed and match the components of my basic parfait recipe several times. One combination which was an absolute hit among friends when I made it was this bay leaf, lemon curd and mascarpone parfait recipe. The bay leaf adds a depth of flavour and works well to break through the sweetness of the lemon curd. The mascarpone layer is slightly peppery and together with all of the other layers, creates a unique flavour hit.

Preparation Time: 3-4 hours          /          Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes         /          Serves 3-6

Ingredients

Bay Leaf Jelly

• 2 bay leaves
• 5g gelatin granules
• 2 drops green food colouring
• 125ml cream

Lemon Curd

• 4 lemons, juice and rind
• 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 75g caster sugar
• 100g butter, at room temperature

Toasted almond biscuit layer

• 50g Milk Arrowroot biscuit, crushed
• 30g unsalted butter
• 30g flaked almonds
• 5g brown sugar

Mascarpone layer

• 120g mascarpone cheese
• 2.5ml extra virgin olive oil
• pinch ground black pepper

Method

Bay Leaf Jelly

1. Place the bay leaves and cream in a saucepan on medium heat.
2. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat.
3. Add the gelatin and food colouring. Stir well.
4. Once the gelatin has dissolved, transfer to a shallow lined container and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Lemon Curd

1. Place a heat resistant bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. The saucepan should be on a low heat.  Ensure the water does not touch the bowl.
2. Add the sugar, butter, lemon juice and lemon rind to the bowl.
3. Once the butter and sugar have completely dissolved, add the eggs.
4. Using a whisk combine the ingredients together. Continue stirring the ingredients until the mixture starts to thicken.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat. Transfer the lemon curd into a sterilized jar and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Toasted Almond Biscuit

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan forced.
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
3. Place the crushed biscuits and almonds on the greaseproof paper.
4. Scatter the brown sugar and butter on top of the almond biscuit layer.
5. Place in the oven for 5 minutes then toss. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Mascarpone layer

1. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

To Put It Together

1. Place the toasted almond biscuit mix at the base of your serving vessel
2. Add a layer of mascarpone, followed by the bay leaf jelly, lemon curd and then top with more toasted almonds.

Notes

If you can’t find Milk Arrowroot biscuits any plain, dry biscuit will do – the less sweet the better. You could use a digestive or graham cracker however you run the risk of this making the dessert overly sweet.