There are few things I love more than raw desserts (hence this blog). But I think I love raw dessert competitions even more than plain old raw desserts. So obviously, I was excited when Heather came up with her latest dessert challenge: the Raw Party Parfait Challenge! Bloggers are invited to make their own twists on Heather’s parfait recipes, and our creations will be judged, with the winner reaping a bounty of raw prize treats.
Although I’m entering close to the deadline, I’ve actually had my parfait concept more or less formed in my mind for weeks. I decided to create an Orange Blossom Apricot parfait! The inspiration comes from a specific Moroccan dessert my mom used to make that contained orange blossom water. I’ve always loved orange blossom water, but I haven’t had any for years. So I thought it would be fun to feature it in my perfect party parfait. If you’ve never tried it before, it doesn’t taste orangey at all — it’s extremely floral, fragrant, and exotic!
I went on a hunt for high-quality orange blossom water, and found a bottle in Kensington Market (Cedar brand, which is apparently the best). I added about a tablespoon of the orange blossom water to Heather’s coconut cream recipe, and it tasted divine.
In keeping with the Moroccan concept, I chose a spice that I don’t use nearly enough — star anise — to compliment the floral cream. I sprinkled the star anise and a touch of my mom’s organic honey on some pistachios, and dehydrated until crispy.
Finally, my fruit layer was sweet and simple – fresh, organic apricots, finely diced.
I threw the layers together, and then headed upstairs to my rooftop patio for a little photo shoot!
Thanks to Heather for hosting such a fun challenge! I look forward to the next one. Check out Heather’s site, Sweetly Raw, for some of the other amazing entries. I’m so blown away by the creativity!
I hope you each had a lovely weekend. I sure did — I got together with Nelly and we un-cooked a storm. Watch for some photos later this week!
Raw Candy 