Maple mascarpone breakfast parfaits

A tasty morning pick-me-up!

There are very few foods on my ‘do not prefer’ list but yogurt is one of them, and for that reason, I’ve never been into breakfast parfaits, as that’s what most of them seem to be made of. A recent epiphany while enjoying a bagel and cream cheese breakfast made me realize that cream cheese (my favourite is Italian-style mascarpone cheese) would be ideal for whipping into a mousse-like froth and layering with other delights to make a morning pick-me-up parfait. This simple treat is so easy to prepare and is as delicious as it is attractive.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (170 g) mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon maple or pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (95 g) fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup (55 g) granola

Method

• In a medium bowl (use a stand mixer or electric hand beater), whip cream and mascarpone on high speed until stiff. Add maple syrup and maple or vanilla extract. Whip again until thoroughly combined.
• Spoon (or pipe) the mixture into two serving dishes, layering with granola and blueberries. Be sure to reserve a few blueberries and a couple of spoonsful of granola for the top.
• Parfaits can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours before serving.

Serves 2; recipe can easily be multiplied.