Sweet cherished memories :)

Passport & Plate - Sweet 'Parfe'

Bulgaria | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 4 photos

Sweet 'Parfe' - Sweet cherished memories :)

Ingredients for the Crust:
1 cup of chopped pecans (walnuts or any other nuts are OK too)
1 table spoon of brown sugar or cane sugar (not margarine, Splenda or anything that unhealthy please)
1 table spoon of cinnamon
1 table spoon of butter (not margarine or anything that unhealthy please)

Ingredients for the White Layer:
zest of half a lemon or lime
drain 1 plain not flavored yogurt (about 900gr) or 1 greek plain not flavored yogurt
4 table spoons of brown sugar or cane sugar (not margarine, Splenda or anything that unhealthy please)

Ingredients for the Colorful Layer:
1 pack of orange JELL-O (about 85gr)
If you do not have it use 250gr of warm water to mix with 1 pack of gelatin (about 7gr) and 3 spoons of sugar or use a fruit sweetened compote juice which fruits you can also use for the top decoration part. You may use any other colorful fruits you like (sliced apples, bananas, peaches, strawberries are super pretty etc.)


How to prepare this recipe:
About 6 big servings
or
12 smaller ones depending how you cut it in a 7,5x11inch pan

Needed Equipment:
7,5x11inch pan
table spoon
2 mixing bowls


How to prepare it all:
1. Chop the nuts roughly, mix them with the spoon of cinnamon and the table spoon of brown sugar. Arrange them at the bottom of the 7,5x11inch pan so it is evenly covered as this is going to be the crust. Chop the cold butter to tiny pieces and top the nuts mixture so it's again evenly buttered. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, toast for about 5-6min so the crust is golden and smells delicious, get the pan out and let it cool down completely.

2. The drained (or greek plain flavored) yogurt is mixed with the zest of lemon or lime. Add the sugar for that White Layer and mix so it's all smooth, nicely combined mixture. Pour it over the chilled nut crust, place to chill in the fridge.

3. As the White Layer is nicely chilled, carefully arrange as you like the fruits you want. Set each fruit carefully over the White layer so they get slightly embedded, chill in the fridge for about 15min. Pour carefully the Orange flavored JELLO mixture (prepared by the directions on its box) so that the fruits do not swim around but stay set. Leave it in the fridge for at least 1-1 ½ hours to set completely.

4. Serve chilled with or without drinks of your choice.


The story behind this recipe:
I love this dessert because of my mom. She taught me how to make it years ago after she did switch some of the ingredients we did not have in the fridge. Instead of ricotta she used plain yogurt. Rather than butter cookies for crust, she used smashed spiced nuts. When I was in high-school she was making at least 2 pans of this dessert when my friends were coming over the weekend. A friend told me once he'd like to switch moms because of how yummy my mom cooks.

She passed away during the Holidays of 2013. It's still a painful thing yet I am grateful she taught me how to enjoy, cook & eat imaginative dishes or throwing things together because we craved something sweet at the spur of that "being on the latest diet moment"

We loved laughing, cooking, traveling the world together & appreciating different art, food, cultures & languages. Every time I see colorful, fresh fruits, I think about the Sweet "Parfe" dessert we so enjoyed preparing and "destroying" together with my mom, laughing about how we need to be on a diet but "Eh, well...it's all fruit and yogurt and one more piece is OK"

Even though at times I feel sad about not being able to talk, laugh, travel or cook with my mom, making this recipe reminds me about the fun times we shared and that some day we will be back together having a blast in Heaven where there are no diets whatsoever lol

My compelling reason to be chosen is that we never went with her further than Thailand as the closest spot to Sri Lanka. Going there we discovered some amazing new fruits. Those little red bananas were awesome! I had my very first fresh coconut! Will be very curious to see if the colors & flavors of Sri Lanka are as amazing & welcoming as the Thai ones. It will inspire me to try new recipes, do pictures, experience yet another culture. Being able to prepare, learn & enjoy new dishes, new friends will create again happy, sweet, cherished memories as these happy times of adventurous travel, cooking and fun I shared with my mom!