School starts in two weeks from today. Jacob is so ready to go back to school and is it bad if I say that I am really ready for him to go back to school? Kelly will be in school all day (last year it was just half day Kindergarten) and I’m really not ready for her to be gone all day. She is a better mom than I am and is a huge help with the girls around the house. She has a patience level with Ella that I just don’t seem to have all the time.
We had a big long list of things we wanted to do this summer, and unfortunately, that big long list still has a lot of things not marked off. I feel like I need to soak up these next two weeks and cram as much summer fun as I can into it.
I am feeling the same way about the fresh berries of summer. Summer is almost over, so I feel like I need to hoard and buy up all the berries I can and make all those recipes I haven’t had the chance to get to yet this summer. The May/June 2010 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen has some great berry recipes in it. (Incidentally, this is the first issue of this magazine I have ever read and it has some great recipes. Is it always this good, or is this just a particularly good issue?)
If you are trying to cram the last of the summer berries into your escaping summer, this Raspberry Parfait recipe is a great one to try. Refreshing, rich and delicious, not to mention beautiful, you can eat it and savor the final days of summer just a little bit longer.
Raspberry Parfaits (from the May/June 2010 Issue of Cooking with Paula Deen Magazine)
3 pints fresh raspberries, divided
½ cup sugar, divided
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh raspberries for garnish, optional
In a medium saucepan, combine 2 pints raspberries and ¼ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 8 minutes or until raspberries have softened. Press mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids. Cover raspberry sauce, and chill thoroughly.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining ¼ cup sugar at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Add cream, and beat until soft peaks form. Fold in sour cream and vanilla.
Layer cream mixture, raspberry sauce, and remaining 1 pint fresh strawberries in four parfait glasses. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Makes four servings.
(The folks of at The Times News used strawberries in this recipe with great success too!)
This looks delicious Kristen!
Our list of things to do this summer still has a lot left undone, too. I’m hoping we’ll sneak in a few of them over the weekends. Hopefully.
Robyn
I’m going to go buy the ingredients today. We’ve got to squeeze in some more berries as well, and my husband LOVES raspberries. He once had a raspberry milkshake (in China of all places) that he claims was one of the best things he ever ate. (I’m a little offended, since I didn’t make it). 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
This looks fantastic!
I have to tell you, as a teacher, every time I see a “Back to School” commercial, I feel a little ill. I know I’ll love it once I’m there . . . but oh, how I’ll miss summer! I didn’t do nearly enough relaxing!
Beautiful shot!
I also make parfaits with strawberries jsut like yours and also add butter biscuits for crunch. Love your recipe with raspberry. Can’t go wrong with Paula Deen by your side 🙂
Keep up the good work!
That is so pretty! Looks like summer in a dish to me!
Oof. School. Don’t say the S word.
I’ve been trying to hoard serious amounts of berries as well…but with all the recipes I want to make, most of them being desserts…I have a feeling I’ll gain about fifty pounds. This looks fantastic!
Wow – school already? Where’d the summer go??
I’ve got a bunch of blueberries and I have a hunch this would be really yummy with those too!
The parfaits look like the perfect way to enjoy those berries!
Don’t feel bad about looking forward to your son going back to school. I think we all enjoy the extra time with the kids, but even they need a break and more structure to their day after awhile. Enjoy what’s left of the summer break – it flies by much too fast!
I would have no problem having 2 of these Kirsten.
Is it school time already?! That is nuts.
These parfaits look absolutely heavenly!
This looks lovely. Love berries this time of the year. And yeah, summer has flown by but I’m kinda ready for more of a routine myself.
Now those are some parfaits my friend! The whipped cream and the sour cream are so decadent. I know, the summer has whizzed by. Can’t believe your little guy goes BTS in 2 weeks! Have a great weekend.
Okay, just enjoyed them after dinner. So incredibly delicious!
That looks delicious! And school?? Eeek…we’re still a month from starting here but I am not looking forward to it.
This looks SO delicious!
can’t have too many berry dessert recipes this time of the year. cheers!
fantastic looking Raspberry Parfaits just feel like wanting to dig in 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Wow this looks amazing, and your presentation is beautiful. I just want to reach out and grab the parfait out of the screen. And I am hugely jealous that it is summer in your world, as it’s wintery cold on the other side of the world where I am! 🙂
These look fabulous- so summery and fun. I love Paula Deen- just finished reading her memoir!
What fun colors in this parfait! I always love to make things that are bright to add some cheer to my day! Not to mention anything made with cream cheese… or heavy cream… or sour cream for that matter, count me in!
Wow, your school starts early! We still have 5 weeks. I’ll bet your summer starts a lot earlier though.
The parfait looks delightful! Thanks!
Kristen – these look so good. I’ve got tons of fall bearing raspberries about to be ripe in our garden so I’m going to try these. 🙂
I don’t get the magazine anymore and this looks great! Thanks for posting…I can’t wait to try it.
I saw this recipe earlier this summer and have been wanting to try it. It looks so good.
I love the fact that your parfait SMILES!
Paula Dean is such an inspiration. She worked hard to get where she is today. I love this beautiful parfait!
This seems like the perfect dessert for my dinner group next weekend. I’m supposed to bring dessert and the theme is farmers market. Fresh rapberries would absolutely fit the bill!
This seems like the perfect dessert for my dinner group next weekend. I’m supposed to bring dessert and the theme is farmers market. Fresh rapberries would absolutely fit the bill!
Beautiful Picture!
I make something similar, as shooters…the kids (big ones too) love them!
I learn how to layer cream mixture, raspberry sauce, and remaining 1 pint fresh strawberries in four parfait glasses.
beating cream cheese until its just right is not easy and making sure everything mixed is a very hard job
I just realized that it really isn’t that difficult to make a parfait. I tried my first one a couple of months ago using this easy Yogurt Parfait recipe. Now I want to try yours too! 🙂
Enjoy!
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Wow, these parfaits are gorgeous!