Cranberry Curd Parfaits layered and served in glasses.

Cranberry Curd Parfaits

These Cranberry Curd Parfaits utilize elements you might already be preparing for your holiday meal. Layers of cranberry wine sauce mingle with creamy cranberry curd and fluffy whipped cream and are brought together with the crunch of almond-flavored cookies.

Cranberry Curd Parfaits layered and served in glasses.
Cranberry Curd Parfaits

Homemade cranberry wine sauce and cranberry curd are layered amongst crunchy almond-flavored cookies and fluffy whipped cream to create these Cranberry Curd Parfaits. A festive holiday dessert!

Cranberry Curd Parfaits with layers of whipped cream, cranberry sauce, cranberry curd, and Amaretti cookies served in glasses.

This post first appeared on December 24, 2013 and on Wayfair.com. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen!

We opened the last window on our Advent calendar this morning. There has been a marathon of Christmas movies playing, and my daughter has been dancing around chanting, “Just one day more! Just one day more! I’m so excited! I’m so excited!” I’ve moved on to some white elephant gifts for our gathering with family tomorrow, and I’m finding myself getting a kick out of some of the tricks we have up our sleeve.

In a few hours, I will be prepping our Wasabi Prime Rib for our Christmas eve dinner, and we will be delivering some goodies to the neighbors. And I hope to finally settle down with a glass of wine, and prop my feet up to see if I can catch Santa sneak down our chimney. I’ve been a busy elf myself, and I can’t wait to relax!

If you’re searching for one more last minute dessert, may I offer you these Cranberry Curd Parfaits? The components do double duty this holiday and come together rather quickly, so if you’re still looking for a sweet ending to your Christmas meal, I assure you these parfaits will be perfect!

How to Make Cranberry Curd Parfaits

This colorful dessert is perfect for holidays and entertaining because you can make the elements ahead of time and then layer the parfaits before serving. Layers of homemade cranberry wine sauce, whipped cream, cranberry curd, and crumbled cookies are repeated in serving glasses, topped with whipped cream, and garnished with a whole Amaretti cookie.

Utilize what you are already preparing for the holidays (cranberry sauce and whipped cream) to make these desserts even quicker to assemble.

More Cranberry Recipes to Try

Cranberry Hand Pies
Fresh Cranberry Tea Cake
Pomegranate Cranberry Moscow Mule
Maple Glazed Cranberry Bread
Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Muffins

Cranberry Curd Parfaits

These Cranberry Curd Parfaits utilize elements you might already be preparing for your holiday meal. Layers of cranberry wine sauce mingle with creamy cranberry curd and fluffy whipped cream and are brought together with the crunch of an almond-flavored cookie.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Servings 6 parfaits
Calories 535kcal

Ingredients

For the Cranberry Wine Sauce:

  • 3 cups fresh cranberries
  • 3/4 cup white wine such as a sauvignon blanc
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar

For the Cranberry Curd:

  • 1/2 pound fresh cranberries a little over 2 cups
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 whole egg
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes

For the Whipped Cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the Cranberry Curd Parfaits:

  • Cranberry wine sauce
  • Cranberry curd
  • Whipped cream
  • Amaretti or almond cookies store bought is fine, crumbled

Instructions

Make the Cranberry Wine Sauce:

  • Combine the cranberries, wine, and sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, stir, then lower heat to a simmer, and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the cranberries have all popped. Transfer to a glass jar and cool completely. This can be done a few days in advance.

Make the Cranberry Curd :

  • In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries and water, cover, and place over medium heat. Cook until the cranberries pop and the liquid bubbles. Pass the cranberries through a strainer, pressing well with a spoon.
  • Be sure to scrape all the lovely red puree on the underside of the strainer into the bowl to use. Pour the cranberry puree back into the saucepan and set aside. Let it cool for a few minutes.
  • Whisk together the egg yolks and egg until combined. While whisking, pour in sugar and whisk until a light yellow color. Add the egg mixture to the cranberry puree in the sauce pan. Continue whisking until creamy and well incorporated, about one minute. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, one cube at a time. Strain into a bowl or jar, cover surface with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This can be done several days in advance.

Make the Whipped Cream:

  • In a cold mixer bowl (I like to put my mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer beforehand), whisk ingredients until soft peaks form. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. This can be done a couple days in advance.

Assemble the Parfaits:

  • In serving glasses, spoon in the cranberry wine sauce, a layer of whipped cream, cranberry curd, and crumbled cookies. Repeat the layers ending with whipped cream and serve with an additional whole cookie.

Notes

Make it ahead: This recipe is an excellent candidate to make ahead. All of the elements can be made a few days in advance (see notes within recipe) and then assembled before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 1038IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see! Tag @kitchconfidante on Instagram and hashtag it #kitchenconfidante

Comments

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    • Liren

      Thank you so much, Priscilla! I love having cranberry curd on hand this time of year, it’s so useful and delicious. I hope you had a lovely Christmas, too, here’s to a fantastic 2014! Hugs!

      Reply
    • Liren

      Happy Holidays to you and yours, too, Dixya!! We did enjoy the prime rib, thank you, and now it’s on to some R&R!

      Reply
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