Recipe Fridays!

Strawberry Parfaits

from Martha Stewart

Spring and summer always make me want things with strawberries in them, and for me strawberries jave an added attraction: we thought I was alergic to them when I was young, so I didn't really get to eat them until I was a teenager. It was like falling in love;) Enjoy!

Ingredients

1  store-bought pound cake
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons sugar
Coarse salt
2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved, plus 4 whole strawberries, thinly slices crosswise, for garnish
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy cream
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1.Slice pound cake crosswise into four 1/4-inch-thick slices, reserving any remaining pound cake for another use. Insert a 3-inch heart-shaped mold into each slice and remove any of the cake that remains around the outer edge of the cutter. Transfer cutters, with cake in the bottom to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; set aside.

2.Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, yolk, 3 tablespoons sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set bowl over, but not touching, simmering water and whisk until egg mixture reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk until mixture is thickened and forms ribbons.

3.Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 pints strawberries, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until finely chopped; set aside.


4.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into yolk mixture, along with 1/4 of the strawberry mixture, until well combined. Top the cake-filled molds with the yolk mixture, smoothing out the top so that it is even with the molds. Transfer to a freezer and freeze overnight. Refrigerate remaining strawberry mixture overnight.


5.Remove parfaits from freezer. Push strawberry parfaits from molds to remove, using a hot towel, if necessary. Let parfaits stand for 20 minutes.


6.Cover the bottom of each of four dessert plates with remaining strawberry mixture; top with parfait. Dust with confectioners' sugar and fan strawberry slices on top of parfaits; serve immediately.