Triple Scoop Choco Mocha Parfait
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May 11, 2024
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A Blue Ribbon Romance by C.M. Nascosta is a short novel featuring a high heat, slow burn romance between Violet, a human woman, and Rourke, a male minotaur. This book follows the same timeline as one of her other books, Morning Glory Milking Farm, but is told from Rourke’s perspective instead of Violet’s.
C.M. Nascosta is one of my favorite authors because I enjoy reading about the urban fantasy world she has created in her books, which are cozy low-stakes romance novels. And last weekend, I actually got to meet C.M. Nascosta, along with some other lovely authors, at a romance book convention in Baltimore, MD. My mom came to visit me for the weekend so we could attend the convention together, even though my mom doesn’t read a lot of romances. We had so much fun chatting with the authors, and we purchased way more books than we originally planned.
I met C.M. Nascosta, the author of A Blue Ribbon Romance, at a recent book convention.
In A Blue Ribbon Romance, there is a fair amount of food references (and thus, inspiration for various recipes) because Rourke loves sweets almost as much as I do. In one particular scene, Rourke visits an ice cream truck at the Makers Mart, a weekly shopping bazaar, with his friend Lurielle while despairing over his possibly unrequited feelings for Violet.
He was still full of despair, but ice cream and chocolate sauce made everything better.
-Chapter 6, A Blue Ribbon Romance by C.M. Nascosta
I couldn’t agree more with Rourke’s opinion, which is why I decided to try recreating the Triple Scoop Choco Mocha Parfait with extra marshmallows and chocolate sauce that Rourke buys from the ice cream truck. It also helped that there was a recent spring-time heat wave in the D.C. area and I had no desire to turn on my oven and make my apartment feel even warmer than it was.
Unfortunately, I do not own an ice cream machine, so I began researching different no-churn ice cream recipes and what the differences were, if any, between ice cream and parfaits. One article I found about the history of parfaits from The Food Timeline explains that the original 19th century French parfait was traditionally coffee-flavored. I also came across an interesting article by Nicola Lamb about parfaits. As she explains in the article,
A parfait is an aerated frozen dessert which combines several ‘foamed’ things - like whipped cream or a pate a bombe or a meringue…The major difference between parfait and ice cream is that ice cream has air whipped into it as it freezes; parfait has air whipped into it and is frozen after!
-“Kitchen Project #34: All about parfait” by Nicola Lamb
Although the Triple Scoop Choco Mocha Parfait incorporates marshmallows instead of a pate a bombe or meringue, it is frozen after it has been aerated by whipped cream. And this parfait is fairly rich (and delicious!), especially topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Unfortunately, I do not own an ice cream machine, so I began researching different no-churn ice cream recipes and what the differences were, if any, between ice cream and parfaits. One article I found about the history of parfaits from The Food Timeline explains that the original 19th century French parfait was traditionally coffee-flavored. I also came across an interesting article by Nicola Lamb about parfaits. As she explains in the article,
A parfait is an aerated frozen dessert which combines several ‘foamed’ things - like whipped cream or a pate a bombe or a meringue…The major difference between parfait and ice cream is that ice cream has air whipped into it as it freezes; parfait has air whipped into it and is frozen after!
-“Kitchen Project #34: All about parfait” by Nicola Lamb
Although the Triple Scoop Choco Mocha Parfait incorporates marshmallows instead of a pate a bombe or meringue, it is frozen after it has been aerated by whipped cream. And this parfait is fairly rich (and delicious!), especially topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
Triple Scoop Choco Mocha Parfait
SERVINGS: About 3 to 4 parfaits
INGREDIENTS
MOCHA ICE CREAM
3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (Note 1)
1 ¾ cups small marshmallows
¼ cup milk, room-temperature
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
TRIPLE SCOOP CHOCO MOCHA PARFAIT
4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
2-3 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 cup small marshmallows
INSTRUCTIONS
MOCHA ICE CREAM
TRIPLE SCOOP CHOCO MOCHA PARFAIT
RECIPE NOTES
SERVINGS: About 3 to 4 parfaits
INGREDIENTS
MOCHA ICE CREAM
3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (Note 1)
1 ¾ cups small marshmallows
¼ cup milk, room-temperature
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
TRIPLE SCOOP CHOCO MOCHA PARFAIT
4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
2-3 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 cup small marshmallows
INSTRUCTIONS
MOCHA ICE CREAM
- Chop or break the chocolate into fine pieces. Place the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave the chocolate on medium heat for about 1 minute, until the chocolate is mostly melted. Then stir the chocolate.
- Add the marshmallows, milk, and instant coffee to the chocolate and stir together.
- Microwave the chocolate marshmallow mixture on medium heat for about 1-1 ½ minutes, until the marshmallows are mostly melted.
- Stir the chocolate marshmallow mixture until smooth. Then set it aside to cool.
- In a separate bowl, pour in the cold heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. (Note 2)
- Add half of the whipped cream to the chocolate marshmallow mixture and whisk until completely combined. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate marshmallow mixture until no streaks remain.
- Pour the mixture into a deep freezer-safe container or bowl, like a 9-inch (23 centimeters) loaf pan, cover tightly with a well-fitting lid or plastic wrap, and freeze for about 4 hours.
- Stir the ice cream and continue freezing until firm, about 2-4 hours.
TRIPLE SCOOP CHOCO MOCHA PARFAIT
- Make the chocolate sauce: Chop or break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for about 1 minute on medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds, then slowly whisk together the chocolate and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the chocolate sauce cool to room temperature. [Alternately, place the chocolate sauce in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the whipped cream.]
- Make the whipped cream: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and cold heavy cream together. Then beat on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until the cream is smooth, thick, and nearly double in volume, about 3 to 4 minutes. (Note 2)
- Make the parfait: Place 1 scoop of ice cream into a bowl or glass. Top with a spoonful of chocolate sauce followed by a spoonful of whipped cream. Repeat this process twice, and then top the parfait with some marshmallows.
RECIPE NOTES
- For this recipe, I would recommend using chocolate bars or chocolate chips that contain about 60% cacao, but you can use between 35 and 70 percent cacao depending on if you prefer a sweeter or darker flavor.
- For better results when making the whipped cream, place the bowl and whisk into the freezer to chill about 10 minutes before whipping the cream.