Chocolate Trinity Parfaits

By HeatherS

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (340 g.) plain chocolate (8 ounces (227 g.) broken into 1/2-ounce (14 g.) pieces and 4 ounces (113 g.) finely grated)
• 3 pints (1.6 1. ) double cream
• 6 ounces (170 g.) caster sugar
• 1 ounce (28 g.) cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare the dark chocolate cream, heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the 8 ounces (227 g.) plain chocolate broken into pieces in the top half of the double boiler (see page 139). Tightly cover the top with cling film and allow to heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed.

Place 1 pint (590 g.) double cream and 1 ounce (28 g.) sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whisk (see page 139). Whisk on high until stiff • peaks form, about 11/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a hand whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together. Transfer the dark chocolate cream to a stainless steel bowl. Tightly cover the top with cling film and refrigerate until needed.

To prepare the cocoa cream, place 16 fluid ounces (470 ml.) double cream, 4 ounces (113 g.) sugar, the cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whisk. Mix on medium until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cocoa cream to a stainless steel bowl. Tightly cover the top with cling film and refrigerate until needed.

To prepare the speckled chocolate cream, place the remaining double cream, 1 ounce (28 g.) sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whisk. Mix on high until stiff peaks form, about 1'/4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the 4 ounces (113 g.) grated chocolate. Transfer the cream to a stainless steel bowl. Tightly cover the top with cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before assembling the parfaits.

To assemble the parfaits, fill a piping bag (without a nozzle) with the dark chocolate cream. Pipe an even layer of about 4 fluid ounces (120 ml.) of the cream into each of the brandy balloons. Then fill a clean piping bag with the cocoa cream and pipe an even layer of it onto the layer of dark chocolate cream. For the final layer of cream, fill a clean piping bag with the speckled chocolate cream and pipe an even layer of the cream onto the cocoa cream. Refrigerate the parfaits until just a few minutes before serving.