Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits

by Jillian

These Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits are a light and sophisticated dessert perfect for any occasion!

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

Vanilla. Bean. Roasted. Strawberries.

Do I have your attention yet?

Holy moly cannoli, these Vanilla Bean Roasted Strawberries were the BEST idea ever. It’s almost impossible to take your eyes off of these gorgeously crimson, glistening jewels of perfection. 

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Originally, I had planned on just eating these strawberries. However, they just weren’t sweet, nor flavorful enough. That’s when I had the idea to sweeten, or rather, enhance these strawberries by roasting them in the oven with some sugar along with a vanilla bean.

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

Not only did roasting intensify the strawberries’ flavor, but the addition of the sugar and fresh vanilla bean definitely take these berries to the next level. While vanilla extract definitely has its place in baking (much more convenient and cheaper), it’s almost impossible to mimic that sweet essence that you get from a vanilla bean. I especially love how the millions of tiny vanilla bean seeds coat each strawberry. It’s like a work of art!

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

To add to the elegance of these gorgeous strawberries, I decided to make them into little parfaits. Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits, to be more specific.

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These parfaits could not be any easier to make. And I’m not just saying that.

Seriously, guys.

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

Roasting the strawberries is easy peasy, and then all you have to do is make up the light-as-air mascarpone cream filling. Just beat the mascarpone cheese with some sugar and vanilla, then fold in the whipped topping. Yes, I said whipped topping! See?? You don’t even have to take the extra step of whipping your own cream. Unless if you want to, of course…I just decided to take the lazy (slash SMART) route.

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

Oh! And DO NOT forget the almond extract. I know this isn’t a common ingredient for most people to have in their pantries, but just trust me on this one, guys. It adds an extra dimension to these parfaits that you just can’t get from vanilla. Almond extract is my favorite flavoring because it has a much stronger flavor than vanilla, and it adds such an indescribable sweetness to everything.

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

To make matters even easier, I used store-bought angel food cake. Because who really has time to make an entire angel food cake for individual parfaits? Ok, so maybe Martha Stewart does, but I prefer to sleep more than 2 hours a night, thankyouverymuch.

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To serve, I simply layered the strawberries, mascarpone filling, and angel food cake in these tall and sophisticated-looking glasses, also known as wine glasses.

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

Now THIS is the correct way to use a wine glass.

roasted-strawberry-shortcake-parfaits-abajillianrecipes.com

Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits

These Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits are a light and sophisticated dessert perfect for any occasion!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 5 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 ounces angel food cake cut into cubes

Vanilla Bean Roasted Strawberries:

  • 2 pounds fresh strawberries
  • 5 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean divided

Mascarpone Filling:

  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • cup granulated sugar
  • teaspoon almond extract
  • 6 ounces cool whip or fresh whipped cream

Instructions
 

Vanilla Bean Roasted Strawberries:

  • Preheat oven to 425ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Wash, hull and cut the strawberries in half. Toss strawberries with sugar. Split the vanilla bean in half with a paring knife, then scrape out the seeds. Reserve about 1/4 of the seeds for the mascarpone filling. Stir the rest of the seeds into the strawberries.
  • Pour strawberries out onto lined-baking sheet, spreading into an even layer. Tuck vanilla bean under the strawberries. Roast for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Mascarpone Filling:

  • In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone cheese, sugar, almond extract, and reserved vanilla seeds until smooth. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the cool whip until just combined.

To Assemble:

  • Divide half of the roasted strawberries among 5 wine glasses. Use a spoon to dollop half of the mascarpone filling on top of the strawberries. Divide the cubed angel food cake evenly among each glass. Repeat layering with the rest of the mascarpone filling, then the roasted strawberries. Refrigerate parfaits until ready to serve.

Notes

*To prevent the angel food cake from getting soggy, I layered the mascarpone filling around the cake layer.
*Roasted strawberries and mascarpone filling can be made ahead of time (I did mine the day before), then assembled on the day of serving.
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