We all had our fun during the holidays enjoying ourselves and making merry, and it’s that time once again to make well intentioned goals, however temporary they might be, and I’m always one to at least make an effort with the R word—resolution.   There, I said it.   So I thought I would start out with these easy strawberry and avocado fruit parfaits layered with raspberries.

I simply pureed strawberries and avocados in a blender with some sugar and a splash of skim milk, keeping the consistency on the very thick side to make the parfaits look and taste rich, and indeed they were.  They were so delicious and creamy I could have sworn I was eating frosting.  The texture was so smooth and thick that it was better to use long parfait teaspoons rather than milkshake straws.

I topped the parfaits with whipped cream just to dress them up and add to the decadence factor.  The whipped cream, of course, is optional.

Martha recommends a daily green juice, so this is my take on green.  It’s not really juice and you don’t have to have parfait every day, but if you happen to have a hankering for ice cream you can whip up an avocado or two and it certainly would be better for you.

And if by the time Valentine’s Day comes around you’re still true to your diet, strawberry parfaits would make a perfect delicious dessert; they look rich and taste great without the guilt calories.  On the other hand, you can also bake a strawberry layer cake or some heart-shaped cookies.

We had some holiday time off at the company I work in, and boy, did I have ambitious plans to fill up the spare time I so rarely have.  I had two or three lofty baking ideas, but I found myself watching one HGTV show after another.  Can’t get enough of the before and after projects of those Property Brothers; I wish they could build me a house.  As for House Hunters, I choose house number 3 and the buyers will always end up choosing either house 1 or 2.  And Love it or List It always gets me screaming list it, list it!

And then there’s that channel that shows really awful cheesy movies 24/7.  The movies are so terrible, plots are so stupid you wonder who watches this.   And at the end of the movie you ask, did I really waste two hours of my life watching that?  And then you proceed to watch the next train wreck.

The crème de la crème of awful TV are those reality shows where everybody screams at each other all the time.  Yes, I am embarrassed to admit I watched a few of those too during the break. I did, however, sort of as an antidote to all that, watch Jean Cocteau’s great 1946 film, La Belle et la Bete, the French version of Beauty and the Beast; a beautiful and timeless rendition of the tale.  I’ve actually seen it many times, and like all true great works of art it is always fresh.  I highly recommend it.

On top of the avocados, strawberries and raspberries, I actually also had some blueberries and blackberries prepared.  But I ended up using just the raspberries to layer the parfaits.

You can also make parfaits using other types of fruit; mangoes, cantaloupe, papayas to name a few.

Happy New Year!!!

Strawberry and Avocado Fruit Parfaits with Raspberries

 

Author:

SugaryWinzy

Serves: serves 5 - 6

Prep time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Print

 

Quick and easy fruit parfaits made of strawberries and avocados, layered with raspberries make for beautiful, delicious desserts that taste rich and decadent without the guilt calories.

Ingredients

For layering and garnish:

• 1 cup raspberries / blueberries / blackberries

For the Strawberry Parfait:

• 2 pounds strawberries (908 g)
• 2 bananas
• 2 – 3 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey (36 g) (more if you want it sweeter)
• ¼ cup skim milk (60 g)

For the Avocado Parfait:

• 3 large or 5 small avocados
• 2 – 3 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey (36 g) (more if you want it sweeter)
• ½ cup skim milk (120 g) (plus a few tablespoons more depending on desired consistency)

Optional:

Whipped Cream Topping:

• ⅓ cup cream cheese (84 g)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (48 g)
• 1 ¼ cup whipping cream (265 g)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2 g)

Directions

For the Strawberry Parfait:

1. Wash strawberries and pat dry before hulling them. Rough chop 2 or 3 strawberries and set them aside if you prefer a somewhat chunky consistency.
2. Place the rest of the strawberries and bananas in a blender together with the sugar and skim milk. Blend until smooth, thick and well combined.
3. Pour into 2 or 3 tall glasses and add the chopped strawberries. Top with optional whipped cream and a raspberry for garnish.

For the Avocado Parfait:

1. Slice, pit and scoop out the avocados. Set aside a few whole pieces if you prefer a somewhat chunky consistency.
2. Place the rest of the avocados in a blender together with the sugar and skim milk. Blend, until smooth, thick and well combined.
3. Fill 2 or 3 tall glasses halfway and add the avocado pieces. Add one layer of whole raspberries then pour in the rest of the avocados. Top with more raspberries and optional whipped cream.

For the optional Whipped Cream Topping:

1. With the wire whip of a stand mixer whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add half of the sugar, whipping well.
2. Slowly add the whipping cream and whip until fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium high then add the rest of the sugar.
3. Add the vanilla then whip cream on medium high until stiff peaks.
4. Place the cream in a Ziploc or piping bag then pipe swirls on top of the parfaits. You can also layer the parfaits with whipped cream.

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Strawberry and Avocado Fruit Parfaits with Raspberries