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I have mentioned in previous posts about my all time love of desserts. Dinner in my house is almost always followed up with some sort of sweet treat. It might just be a bowl of frozen yogurt or some fruit with whipped cream but every once in a while I stumble across a dessert recipe that I cannot resist. My husband and I are huge fans of The Chew. For those of you who don’t watch it, I seriously think you should start! This show is a great combination of humor, food, and just all around chit chat. Well, the other day, my daughter comes to me with a dessert recipe that she has found on their website and begs me to make it with her. Since I can’t say no to my budding chef, I agreed. I made a couple small changes based on what I had in the house and could find at the market. This made a big batch (it serves 8) but you can save the separate layers for leftovers the next night. This is also a good dessert recipe to make up before a dinner party so you just have to layer it right before serving.
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Orange Parfait Dessert Recipe
Yields 8
A great combination of tart and sweet that makes a very unique dessert recipe
60 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
1 hr, 10 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- For the Crust:
- 4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 sticks butter
- For the Filling
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- 6 Egg Yolks (reserve egg whites for the meringue)
- 2 teaspoons Orange zest
- 1 stick Butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- For the Meringue
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/3 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 5 Egg Whites (room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Instructions
- The first step is to make the filling. In a medium sized sauce pan, add the sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon and orange juice. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add about 1 cup of the hot filling from above while stirring vigorously. Pour the egg/filling mix back into the pan with the remaining filling and cook over medium high heat for another minute or two. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest, butter and salt. Let cool to room temperature and then chill for 1 hour.
- While the filling is cooling, make the graham cracker crust. In a food processor, add 4 cups graham cracker crumbs and 2 sticks butter. Process until well blended and place on a cookie sheet. Press firmly and bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- For the meringue: In a small pan over high heat combine the sugar, lemon juice, and water. Bring to a boil. Cook to the soft ball stage with a candy thermometer (240 degrees). While this is cooking, beat the 5 eggs whites in a large mixing bowl on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and beat another 2 to 3 minutes or until soft peaks form. Drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites while continuing to beat them on high. Beat until shiny and stiff peaks form. Add in the orange zest and mix until combined.
- To serve: Layer the graham cracker crumbs, the orange filling and the meringue in decorative glasses and sprinkle with a few remaining graham cracker crumbs.
Diane has a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with a Minor in Health Management and Policy. She spent many years working in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging as a way to share this knowledge with others. While passionate about health and the environment she can’t quite give up her favorite Cheetos and Diet Coke! Learn more about her HERE.
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