Almond Parfait
Adapted from Delicious. More Please.
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1/4 cup (40g) whole almonds, sliced
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300 ml thickened cream
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4 eggs, separated
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a pinch of salt
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90g icing sugar, sifted
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1/4 cup (60ml) amaretto liqueur
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1/2 cup (80g) blanched almonds, toasted, finely chopped
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8 Amaretti biscuits, crushed (found at Italian delis)
Caramel sauce
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1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
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1/2 cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Step 1 - Grease and line a 1 litre terrine or 21x10cm loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of wrap overhanging on the sides. Scatter the sliced almonds over the base to cover. Separate the eggs ensuring that there is no yolk in the white. Using clean electric beaters, beat the whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Place in a clean metal bowl.
Step 2 - Then using the same bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form and place this in another bowl. Then in the original bowl (you don't really have to clean the beaters beforehand between these two steps as long as the egg whites are beaten in a spotlessly clean bowl), beat the gg yolks and icing sugar. Then add the amaretto, toasted almonds and crushed amaretto to the egg yolk mixture and stir until combined. Take a clean metal spoon and gently fold in the egg whites and whipped cream in alternate batches keeping in as much air as possible into the mix.
Step 3 - Pour the mixture into the prepared terrine, packing it well and smoothing the surface. Tap the tin gently several times to get rid of any air bubbles. Cover with extra plastic wrap and freeze for at least four hours or overnight until firm.
Step 4 - Make the sauce which needs to cool before pouring it over the parfait. Place all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the grains in the sugar have dissolved. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Allow to cool and then chill until ready to serve. If the sauce has solidified in the fridge, microwave for a few seconds.
Step 5 - To serve, briefly dip the terrine in warm water then turn out onto a platter. Remove plastic wrap and drizzle with caramel sauce and slice and serve.