Mango Blueberry Basil Babes

We think the best way to go about summer is to fill adorable jars with delicious things and take them to a dinner party. Diana and I had a dinner party in Evanston, an absolutely beautiful, super-close suburb of Chicago and we were in charge of dessert. I grew up with lots of after-dinner drinking so we opted for a delicious Matthiasson vermouth and these adorable parfaits — dessert that travels easily so we can bring gourmet via uber without any stress.

The beauty of these mango-blueberry concoctions is that everything can be prepared separately and mostly in advance so it doesn’t require a huge afternoon project. You’ll want to take your time layering them if you’re going to put them up on Instagram, but otherwise, they’re delicious no matter how you swing it. Happy summer dessert-ing everyone!

xo

ab + DZ

Blueberry Mango Parfait
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound blueberries (If you pick your own or buy at the farmer’s market, that is wonderful. We used a 15 ounce bag of Wyman’s wild blueberries and things worked out well for us.)
  2. 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  3. ¼ ounce powdered gelatin, 1 packet!
  4. 2 tablespoons cold water
  5. 1 pound mango -- either frozen or from 3 mangoes, blended. Reserve about ¼ cup unblended to cut for garnish
  6. 3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
  7. 15 basil leaves, divided
  8. Powdered sugar, optional
  9. Gingersnap cookies, we like Lucy’s gluten-free cookies, but you can always make your own if you’re trying to be extra impressive
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, add ½ cup sugar and blueberries. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and the syrup can coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. In a small bowl, combine gelatin and cold water to bloom. Blend mango until smooth. Combine gelatin, mango puree and remaining ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and stir until it simmers. Set aside to cool. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the mango puree and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  3. Heat 12 basil leaves in 1 cup of heavy cream. Bring to a boil and allow to cool. Refrigerate until cream is cold, at least 1 hour. This cream will be whipped right before serving.
  4. When ready to assemble, whip 2 remaining cups of plain heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add ¼ of the whipped cream to the mango puree. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream until it is combined.
  5. Break 10-15 cookies into rough crumbs. If you need to eat some while doing this, it is ok.
  6. Layer blueberries, mango mousse and gingersnaps in even layers in a small jar or glass. You should have six layers, total. You can refrigerate for up to 2 days, keeping in mind that while they will taste great, the cookies will absorb moisture as they sit.
  7. Just before serving, remove basil leaves from basil-infused cream and discard. Whip to soft peaks. Add powdered sugar to taste. Top each parfait with basil whipped cream and slices of remaining basil and mango.
Lucky Banks Eats http://www.luckybankseats.com/

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