Rich and creamy layers of white chocolate cheesecake filling between fudgy brownie cubes, topped with a fluffy swirl of chocolate whipped cream and chocolate curls!
Valentine’s Day is less than 24 hours away, so I’m sure most of you have already found the perfect gift to give your sweetie. Well, unless if you’re one of the many dudes I usually see roaming the card section at the grocery store on February 14th…
But hey, as long as you get your hunny a sweet card, that’s all that matters. Speaking of, if you want to make your hunny REALLY happy this Valentine’s Day, make sure it involves chocolate!
Lucky for you, I’ve got the perfect chocolicious dessert that’ll make your love SWOON…
TRIPLE.
CHOCOLATE.
PARFAITS.
Need I say more?
Not only do these parfaits look absolutely exquisite, but they taste HEAVENLY. With deliciously creamy layers of white chocolate cheesecake filling, soft and fudgy brownie cubes and a fluffy crown of chocolate whipped cream, these Triple Chocolate Parfaits have it all!
And if you’re one of those over-planners, like myself, these parfaits are the perfect make-ahead dessert. In fact, everything can be made up and assembled up to 3 days in advance, if you want. And being that Valentine’s Day lands on a crummy Tuesday this year, make-ahead recipes like this one will definitely make things much easier for you.
To make things even EASIER, this recipe starts with a brownie mix. Simply prepare it according to package instructions, and bake it in an 8-inch square baking dish. Once it’s out of the oven, allow it to cool completely before cutting it up into small bite-size cubes.
The white chocolate cheesecake filling and the chocolate whipped cream are basically made side-by-side since they use similar ingredients. First, you’ll start with the white chocolate cheesecake filling by placing some white chocolate and a little bit of heavy cream into a bowl, and heating it in the microwave until smooth. When it involves melting, I always recommend using a high-quality white chocolate. The so-called “white chocolate” chips you usually see in the store (Nestle or store-brand) aren’t actually white chocolate. I suggest brands like Lindt or Ghirardelli.
When melting the chocolate and cream together, make sure to check and stir often, about every 15-20 seconds. You don’t want to risk overheating and burning the chocolate. Once it’s completely smooth, allow the mixture to cool *slightly* while you work on the rest of the filling.
In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat some heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together. You’ll use this whipped cream in BOTH the cheesecake filling and chocolate whipped cream.
After you transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and into the refrigerator, return the bowl to the mixer, and replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment. Beat some cream cheese and powdered sugar together until creamy, then add the melted white chocolate. Continue beating until the mixture is completely incorporated, then fold in 2 cups of the whipped cream you made earlier. To make the layering process easier, I like to transfer the filling to a large pastry bag fitted with either a large round tip or star tip.
To make the chocolate whipped cream, just add a SIFTED tablespoon of cocoa powder to the rest of the whipped cream. I cannot stress enough how important it is to sift your cocoa powder before adding it. Unless if you want little brown specks throughout your whipped cream, make sure to pass it through a sifter or fine-mesh sieve first.
Now that you’ve got your brownies, cheesecake filling, and whipped cream, it’s time for the REAL fun to begin–assembling the whole shebang!!
Start with a layer of brownies, then pipe a layer of cheesecake filling on top, followed by another layer of brownies and another layer of cheesecake filling. Top each parfait with a swirl of that delicious chocolate whipped cream, then sprinkle some delicate chocolate curls on top. To make the chocolate curls, just take any chocolate bar, warm it slightly in the palm of your hand, then glide a vegetable peeler along the side of it. Warming the bar beforehand makes it easier to get those nice full curls.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, EVERYBODY!!!
Triple Chocolate Parfaits
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix (plus all the ingredients needed to make it)
- 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped or chips*
- 2 ¼ cup heavy cream, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 4 teaspoons cocoa powder, sifted**
- Chocolate curls (optiona)***
Instructions
Make the Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Prepare brownies according to package instructions. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square baking dish, and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Place the white chocolate and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream into a medium microwave-safe bowl, and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove, stir, then return to the microwave for 15 seconds. Remove and stir until smooth. If still, lumpy keep heating the chocolate at 10-second increments until completely smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and 2/3 cup of the powdered sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to another bowl and place in the refrigerator.
- Return the bowl to the mixer, and beat the cream cheese and remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar together until smooth. Add the slightly cooled melted white chocolate and continue beating until completely incorporated. Fold in 2 cups of the whipped cream.
- Transfer white chocolate cheesecake filling to a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip (star or round).
- Make the chocolate whipped cream by adding the cocoa powder to the remaining whipped cream, and whipping until light and fluffy.
- To assemble, cut the brownies into small bite-sized cubes. Place a layer of brownie cubes into the bottom of 5 parfait glasses. Pipe a layer of white chocolate cheesecake filling on top. Repeat this layering process once more. Top each parfait with a swirl of the chocolate whipped cream and sprinkle chocolate curls on top.
- Refrigerate parfaits until ready to serve. Parfaits can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Notes