Cherries are at their best now, bountiful, sweet, large and juicy. What better than to make a refreshing dessert with a twist. So, I made Drunken Cherry Pistachio Parfait as an after-dinner dessert, using fresh cherries for both the dessert and the ‘drunken cherries’ garnish. It was fun to make and delicious.
Ingredients
- 20 fl oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 lb bag fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries pitted
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 3/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts
- 2-3 sprigs fresh mint as garnish
- 24 whole Drunken Cherries
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Chill 6 ramekins.
- Defrost 3/4 lb bag fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries cherries in a medium sized bowl and set aside until ready to use.
- Whisk together 20 fl oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whip 3/4 cup heavy cream in a separate bowl until peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
- Mash/chop 3/4 lb bag fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries and add 2 tbsp brandy and reserve in a small bowl.
- Blend about 1 cup of whipped cream with condensed milk mixture until well combined.
- Fold in mashed cherries and 3/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts and the remaining whipped cream.
- Cover and place in freezer for at least 5 hours and up to over night.
Serving
- Select 3-4 Drunken Cherries for garnish.
- Garnish with one fresh macerated (drunken) cherry on top with mint leaves and 2 or 3 macerated cherries on the side.
