As a father and general advocate of healthy living, I appreciate the need to eat healthier, but we all know Christmas is the one time of year we like to indulge. With so many alternative ingredients available today, you can easily make healthy tweaks to recipes without noticing any difference in taste, and texture and this parfait is a brilliant example. Made with double cream, it's still very indulgent but without any added sugar (although there are natural sugars in the pears), which means the post-Christmas guilt doesn't have to be quite as bad! The spiced pears themselves are super delicious and very festive so. If you are looking to be super healthy over the festive period, try them spooned over a low-fat Greek yoghurt for a super healthy Christmas dessert.
Ingredients
For the Parfait
- 3 medium egg whites, (100g) at room temperature (Red Lion stamped)
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 130 g Xylitol
- 4 tsp mixed spice, level
- 600 double cream, lightly whipped
For the Warm Pears with Vanilla
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 vanilla pod, or ½ tsp vanilla paste
- 3 ripe pears, I use Williams or Bartlett
- 20 g Xylitol
Instructions
For the Parfait
- Place the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl and add the cream of tartar.
- Place the whisk on the machine, whisk at high speed until thick and foamy, probably 1-2 minutes.
- Slow the machine down and sprinkle over the Xylitol, then re whisk for 3-4 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Add the mixed spice to the lightly whipped double cream and fold in.
- Add the finished meringue to the lightly whipped cream and gently fold in.
- Spoon the mixture into a container or bowl, cover with cling film and freeze until firm. For the best consistency, freeze for about 6 hours. If you were to leave it overnight, you might need to remove it from the freezer and pop it in the fridge for 1 hour to soften slightly before eating.
- You may need to remove the parfait from the freezer 10 minutes before serving, to soften slightly. This is because Xylitol in its raw form does not freeze the same way as normal sugar.
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop into balls or open curls. Serve in bowls with poached fruits and a little syrup over.
For the Warm Pears with Vanilla
- Top and tail the pears. Peel carefully with a peeler or sharp paring knife. Cut each pear into quarters lengthways.
- Remove any stalk and core with a sharp knife, then cut each quarter in two lengthways.
- Once the pears are prepared, you should have 24 pieces of pear.
- Heat the oil and butter until foaming, then add the vanilla, pears and Xylitol, and gently sauté for 3-4 minutes, maybe longer if the pears are not fully ripe.
- Turn the pears occasionally to coat in the buttery juices. Do not overcook or, the pears will become mushy.
- Serve warm with the parfait.
Add ingredients from Vickery TV straight to your favourite online supermarket
Nutrition Facts
Spiced Christmas Meringue Parfait with Spiced Pears
Amount per Serving
Calories
351
% Daily Value*
Fat
38
g
58
%
Saturated Fat
21
g
131
%
Cholesterol
116
mg
39
%
Sodium
30
mg
1
%
Potassium
77
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
3
g
1
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
