Chocolate Lavender Parfait: A No-Churn Frozen Dessert

A velvety smooth no-churn frozen dessert recipe lightly flavoured with lavender. Chocolate lavender parfait melts beautifully on the tongue, rather than rolling off it. But the delicious and sophisticated flavours linger. It’s ice-cream, sort of, but more refined.

This month Dashing Dom has joined forces with Krazy Kavey in a chilling combination of Random Recipes and Bloggers Scream for Ice Cream. Now that Autumn has descended on us rather earlier than expected, ice-cream is no longer top of my list of desired desserts. However, ice-cream and frozen desserts are what we’ve been tasked to make, so lavender chocolate parfait it is. I have to say, I don’t regret it.

What is a Parfait?

Well actually there are two types of parfait. A French frozen dessert and then an American layered dessert that’s derived from the French one. They’re so called because parfait is the French word for perfect.

The first is a type of ice-cream made from eggs, hot sugar syrup and cream. It usually has some sort of flavouring and often a measure or two of liqueur. This is the classic French parfait. My chocolate lavender parfait is a prime example.

The other type is a layered dessert, usually served in a glass. Layers may consist of cream, ice-cream, yoghurt, fruit, nuts, chocolate, coffee or granola. I have two of these on Tin and Thyme. Roasted plum parfait with lemon curd is a great make ahead dessert. Whilst my raspberry granola parfait makes breakfast time a little more glamorous.

If the layered parfait includes ice-cream, however, it’s more likely to be termed an ice-cream sundae here in the UK. These recipes for chocolate sundae royale and chocolate peanut butter ice cream sundae are two examples of this.

Chocolate Lavender Parfait

Technically the difference between a parfait and ice-cream is a little vague. I reckon a parfait is just a type of ice-cream. Whatever it is or isn’t, it’s a very good way of making a no-churn frozen dessert.

Now it just so happens that I had a seventy gram bar of dark lavender chocolate lying about – as you do! I found it too strong and soapy to eat on its own, so was awaiting just such an occasion as this. Lavender chocolate works wonderfully well when incorporated into recipes. Thus it was that this perfect parfait recipe is made with just seventy grams of chocolate. Turns out, that’s just the right amount for four people.

It’s really quite easy to make and there’s no need for an ice-cream maker. You make a hot syrup with sugar and water, melt the chocolate into it then beat it with egg yolks to make a sort of chocolatey custard. Then mix it with whipped cream and cognac and freeze. Job done. No churning required.

The parfait is velvety smooth and not a shard of ice crystal to be detected. It’s very rich and truly decadent, but the soupçon of lavender keeps it tasting fresh and prevents it from cloying on the palate as some creamy confections can do. The cognac gives a welcome hint of sophistication and brings out the other flavours.

This is a perfect use for lavender chocolate and a brilliant make ahead dessert I can now knock up for future dinner parties.

No Lavender Chocolate?

If you don’t like the idea of lavender as a flavouring, or you can’t get hold of lavender chocolate, just use ordinary plain chocolate instead. Or try a different flavour, coffee and orange immediately spring to mind.

Recipes To Use Up Egg Whites

This recipe does leave rather a lot of egg whites leftover. However, I always see this as a good opportunity to make something else. That something else is usually friands as they’re quick to make and delicious to boot. But there are other options.

Here are all the recipes on Tin and Thyme that use only egg whites. And here are a couple of my favourites.

• Chocolate macaroons
• Raspberry rose friands

Other Lavender Recipes You Might Like

• Chocolate lavender cake with chocolate yoghurt icing
• Lavender chocolate goose egg cake
• Lavender honey cake with lemon & honey cream cheese icing

Keep in Touch

Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this lavender chocolate parfait, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more frozen dessert recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.

Choclette x

Chocolate Lavender Parfait. PIN IT.

Chocolate Lavender Parfait – The Recipe

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Lavender Parfait

A velvety smooth no-churn frozen dessert lightly flavoured with lavender. Melts beautifully on the tongue, rather than rolling off it. But the delicious and sophisticated flavours linger. A perfect make-ahead dessert.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time13 minutes mins

Cook Time2 minutes mins

Freezing Time2 hours hrs

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chocolate, cognac, ice cream, lavender, no-churn, parfait

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

• 150 ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 75 ml water
• 60 g golden caster sugar
• 70 g dark lavender chocolate chopped (I used Seed & Bean 72%)
• 2 large eggs (yolks only)
• 2 tsp cognac

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Whip the cream to soft peaks, either with an electric whisk or by hand, if you’re feeling strong.
  150 ml double cream (heavy cream)
• Warm the water in a small pan and dissolve the sugar in it.
  75 ml water, 60 g golden caster sugar
• Notch up the heat and boil the syrup for two minutes, then turn the heat off.
• Add the chocolate and leave to melt.
  70 g dark lavender chocolate
• Meanwhile, separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a bowl and the whites into the fridge for some future use.
  2 large eggs
• Beat the egg yolks with a wooden spoon or hand held beaters, then slowly pour in the chocolate syrup beating all the while. Carry on beating until the mixture is almost cool.
• Beat in the cognac, then fold in the whipped cream.
  2 tsp cognac
• Divide the mixture between four ramekin dishes and place in the freezer. Leave for at least two hours.

Notes

If you’re not going to eat these the same day you make them, place them in a freezer proof container as soon as they’re frozen.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and should only be used as a guide.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 59mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 670IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

Share on Facebook

Sharing

I’m entering this chocolate parfait into random ice cream. This is a joint Random Recipes and Bloggers Scream for Ice Cream event hosted over at Belleau Kitchen and Kavey Eats.

A healthy dose of cognac makes this dessert crazy enough for me, so I am entering it into Baking with Spirit over at Cake of the Week where Janine has asked us to all go crazy.

I’m also sending this off to Lucy’s #CookBlogShare over at Supergolden Bakes.