Honey Lavender Mousse Parfaits

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Food processor
• •Hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• •8 clear parfait glasses or 8-oz mason jars
• •Rubber spatula
• •Rolling pin

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the cream

   Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and add the 2 tablespoons of lavender. Set over medium-low heat and warm until you see tiny bubbles forming around the edges and wisps of steam rising from the surface. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat immediately, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. The cream will take on a pale purple-grey tint and smell distinctly floral. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pressing on the lavender to extract every bit of flavor. Discard the spent buds. Refrigerate the infused cream until completely cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.

   Culinary lavender is essential here. Ornamental varieties may have been treated with pesticides. Look for lavender labeled specifically for cooking at specialty grocers or online.
2. 2

   Make the shortbread dough

   While the cream infuses, prepare your shortbread. Pulse the flour, powdered sugar, ground lavender, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Add the egg yolk and pulse just until the dough begins to clump together. It should hold when pressed but not be wet or sticky. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press into a flat disk, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Bake the shortbread

   Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top parchment and slide the bottom sheet with the dough onto your baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges turn golden and the center looks set but still pale. The shortbread will crisp as it cools. Let it rest on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, break into rough pieces and pulse briefly in a food processor to create uneven crumbles. Some should be powder-fine, others chunky. This texture contrast matters.

   Shortbread stores beautifully. Make it up to a week ahead and keep the crumbles in an airtight container at room temperature.
4. 4

   Prepare the raspberries

   In a medium bowl, gently toss 1 1/2 pints of the raspberries with the 2 tablespoons of honey and the lemon juice. Let them macerate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. The berries will release their juices and create a ruby-colored syrup. Reserve the remaining half pint of pristine berries for garnish. Do not crush the macerated berries. You want them soft and yielding but still intact.

5. 5

   Whip the mousse base

   In a large bowl, beat the softened mascarpone with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Warm the 1/3 cup honey in the microwave for 15 seconds, just enough to make it pourable. With the mixer running on low, drizzle in the warm honey, then add the vanilla and salt. Beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is creamy. Scrape down the sides and set aside.

6. 6

   Whip and fold the cream

   In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold lavender-infused cream until it holds soft peaks. The cream should billow and fold over gently when you lift the whisk. Stop before it becomes stiff. Overwhipping creates a grainy mousse that weeps liquid. Add about one-third of the whipped cream to the mascarpone mixture and stir vigorously to lighten it. Then add the remaining whipped cream in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula. Use sweeping motions from the bottom of the bowl up and over. The finished mousse should be uniformly pale, airy, and hold its shape when mounded.

   Chilling your bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping cream makes a noticeable difference, especially in warm kitchens.
7. 7

   Assemble the parfaits

   Gather 8 clear glasses, jars, or parfait cups. Each should hold about 8 ounces. Begin with a layer of shortbread crumbles, about 2 tablespoons pressed gently into the bottom. Spoon a generous dollop of mousse on top, using the back of the spoon to spread it to the edges. Add a layer of macerated raspberries with a little of their syrup. Repeat the layers: more crumbles, more mousse, more berries. Finish with a final swoop of mousse on top. You should have three distinct layers visible through the glass.

8. 8

   Chill and garnish

   Cover each parfait with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. The resting time allows the shortbread to soften slightly at the edges while maintaining its center crunch, and lets all the flavors marry. Just before serving, top each parfait with a few reserved fresh raspberries and a small sprig of fresh lavender. The purple against the pink against the cream makes for a presentation worthy of any table, whether that table sits in a dining room or unfolds from a picnic basket.

Chef Tips

• •Wildflower honey brings complexity that clover honey lacks. If you can find a local beekeeper's honey with some character, this is the place to use it. The floral notes in good honey complement the lavender beautifully.
• •For a picnic, transport the parfaits in a cooler with ice packs. Mason jars with tight-fitting lids work wonderfully and look charming. Pack the garnishes separately and add them when you arrive.
• •If lavender intimidates you, start with less. You can always add more ground lavender to the shortbread next time, but you cannot remove the soapy taste of too much. Culinary lavender should whisper, not shout.
• •A dry rosé or Moscato d'Asti pairs beautifully here. The wine's fruit notes echo the raspberries while its acidity cuts through the richness of the cream.

Advance Preparation

• •Lavender-infused cream can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored refrigerated. This actually deepens the flavor.
• •Shortbread crumbles keep for 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature.
• •Assembled parfaits hold beautifully for up to 24 hours refrigerated. Add garnishes just before serving.
• •For best texture, remove parfaits from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving to let the mousse soften slightly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)