banana mousse parfaits.

Oh parfaits... what's not to like? It's everything that you love in a glass and you don't even have to worry about presentation, because it looks perfect already- layer after layer of contrasting and complementing textures, shapes and colors. Plus, eating a dessert in a cup with a spoon as your shovel, or weapon, is somewhat comforting.

Today, the genetic makeup of these parfaits is primarily chocolate and banana, the chocolate coming from the brownies (or cake in my case) and chocolate sauce (that I didn't use but no biggie), and the banana element represented by banana mousse and fresh sliced bananas.

The banana mousse won't turn out as the same shade of yellow as you would predict it to be, at least in my case. I'm not talking about a bright and cheery yellow, not even a dull and dirtied one. The yellow practically got kicked out and replaced by this grayish tone that I'm sure the black seeds of the vanilla bean paste contributed too. Of course, you have to bear in mind that the bananas will oxidize too. I'm just saying it now so you don't suffer from a heart attack when you end up with soup the colour of a cloudy sky. But it is a delicious banana-y cloudy sky, yes it is.

The only ingredient that I felt was out of place was the granola. Okay, maybe it's not a misfit but I certainly don't agree with the order it is placed in the parfait. The moisture of the mousse will certainly get to it and make it a soggy mess by the time you get to eat it 2 hours later. Either top the parfait off with the granola or omit it altogether. That's my advice.

Banana Mousse Parfaits
adapted from Baked Elements

For the mousse:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup milk
2 bananas, chopped into large chunks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks.

Blend the milk, bananas, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Fold in the whipped cream. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

For assembly:
2 large brownies (I used this chocolate cake with peanut butter cups in it as a bonus!), coarsely chopped
2 medium bananas, sliced
1/2 cup granola
1/4 cup chocolate sauce (I didn't use. If you ask me though, I would greatly prefer caramel sauce.)
1/2 cup whiskey whipped cream, recipe follows
assorted sprinkles (optional)

The layering of the parfaits works this way: brownies, banana mousse, sliced bananas, granola, banana mousse, brownies. Chill for 2 more hours. Before serving, make the whiskey whipped cream and top the parfaits off with it. Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Sprinkle over the sprinkles, if using.

For the whiskey whipped cream:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/5 tsp sugar
1 1/5 tsp to 2 2/5 tsp whiskey, to taste

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and whiskey and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.