Chocolate Raspberry and Lemon Ginger Parfaits

Chocolate Raspberry and Lemon Ginger Parfaits

What is a party without a delicious dessert? In my opinion, it’s not a party at all! So, for my wine party I couldn’t have just one; I had to have two! I wanted a dessert that would pair well with red wine and another to complement white. Also, since I was making so many other foods, I did not want to spend a lot of time baking. I decided to listen to our good friend Donkey from Shrek and make parfaits! Cuz “everybody love parfaits!”

The layers of chocolate and raspberry jam topped with a dollop of mascarpone accentuated the rich berry notes of the cabernet and pinot noir. The bright taste of lemon and spicy hint of ginger brought out the citrus notes in the sauvignon blanc. These parfaits are so delicious, you’ll feel like there’s a party in your mouth. And when you see these calorie counts, you’ll want to have a party every night!

Chocolate Raspberry Ingredients:

• 1 ½ small packets sugar free instant chocolate pudding
• 3 cups nonfat milk
• 12 chocolate graham crackers (6 sheets with 2 crackers each)
• 4 Tbsp low sugar raspberry jam*
• 10 oz mascarpone cheese
• 12 fresh raspberries

Chocolate Raspberry Directions:

Make the pudding according to package directions and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Crumble one graham cracker in the bottom of each parfait dish. Place about 2 Tbsp chocolate pudding on top. Layer with 2 tsp raspberry jam and 2 more Tbsp chocolate pudding.

Put the mascarpone cheese in a pastry bag with a ridged tip. Swirl a small amount of mascarpone on the top of the parfait. If you don’t have a pastry bag, carefully place a small amount on top using a spoon. Top with a fresh raspberry and serve.

Servings: 12    Serving Size: 1 parfait

Calories: 129               Fat: 6g             Sat. Fat: 3.2g   Carbs: 16.5g

Sodium: 129.8mg        Fiber: 1.2g       Sugar: 6.5g      Protein: 2.7g

Lemon Ginger Ingredients:

• 1 ½ small packets sugar free instant lemon pudding
• 3 cups nonfat milk
• 18 small gingersnap cookies (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1 can fat free whipped cream
• ¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped
• zest of one lemon

Lemon Ginger Directions:

Make the pudding according to package directions and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Crumble 1 ½ cookies in the bottom of each parfait dish. Place about ¼ cup lemon pudding on top. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crystallized ginger and lemon zest.

P.S. Don’t worry if your whipped cream melts. Mine did and it still tasted and looked great!

Servings: 12    Serving Size: 1 parfait

Calories: 90                 Fat: 1.4g          Sat. Fat: .9g     Carbs: 16.3g

Sodium: 215.5mg        Fiber: .1g         Sugar: 7.2g      Protein: 2.6g