No-bake peach cheesecake parfaits

A fast and fun summer dessert!

As someone who loves to cook with the seasons, I find myself feeling like a kid at Christmastime waiting throughout the summer for various local fruits and vegetables to become available. Ontario peaches have just started arriving in my local shops and I cannot get enough of them. This dessert is a great way to enjoy seasonal fruit; you’ll discover that the combination of mascarpone and whipping cream is a great contrast to the sweet topping. The parfaits can be assembled in your choice of dishes – small canning jars are great – up to an hour before serving. If you like this no-bake delight, be sure to check out my cherry cheesecake parfaits and my apple pie parfaits.

Ingredients

Caramelized peaches:

• 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
• 3 large ripe peaches, peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons (39 g) brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (or ground cinnamon)
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Parfait:

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy (35%) cream
• 2/3 cup (150 g) mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons (12 g) toasted sliced almonds, to garnish
• Fresh thyme leaves, to garnish (optional but delicious)

Method

• Prepare the peaches up to 24 hours in advance. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan placed over medium heat; add the peeled, diced peaches, brown sugar, cardamom and lemon juice. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, adjusting heat as needed. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until peaches have softened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate if not using within 6 hours; bring to room temperature before assembling parfaits.
• Cheesecake filling can similarly be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Place the mascarpone and whipping cream in a medium bowl. Mix at high speed until thickened and stiff (close to the consistency of whipped cream), about 4-5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble parfaits.
• Assemble the parfaits by placing a generous spoonful of the mascarpone mixture in the bottom of each of 4 serving dishes. Add a spoonful of the cooled peach mixture. Repeat layers. Refrigerate for up to an hour if not serving immediately.
• When ready to serve, garnish parfaits with a few toasted almonds and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves, if using.

Serves 4; recipe can easily be halved or multiplied.