Quark Parfaits with Chocolate Meringue Cookies and Raspberry Sauce
Tangy, creamy homemade quark is paired with rich, dark chocolate in this not-too-sweet dessert. Mix it up by swapping out the raspberries for strawberries or cherries.
Ingredients
MERINGUE COOKIES
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
RASPBERRY SAUCE
- 1½ cups fresh raspberries
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
PARFAITS
- 12 chocolate meringue cookies
- 1 1/3 cups homemade quark
- 1 cup fresh raspberry sauce
- Fresh raspberries to garnish
Instructions
- ►MERINGUE COOKIES: Heat oven to 350°F with a rack positioned in the center. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- ►Sift sugar and cocoa powder together into a large mixing bowl. Add salt and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Add egg whites and vanilla and stir until batter is just moistened and comes together.
- ►Drop teaspoons of batter onto prepared baking sheets. Give plenty of space between each as the cookies will spread when they bake. Bake cookies until the tops are lightly puffed and cracked, about 12 minutes. Cool briefly, then carefully transfer cookies to a cooling rack using an offset spatula. If you allow the cookies to cool on the parchment paper for too long, they will stick. Repeat with remaining batter. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- ►RASPBERRY SAUCE: Add raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sauce comes to a boil.
- ►Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, then remove from heat. Allow sauce to cool completely before using. The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
- ►PARFAITS: Place 1 meringue cookie in the bottom of 4 serving dishes and top each with 2 tablespoons of quark. Add 1 tablespoon of raspberry sauce on top, and then repeat two more times. Each dish will have 3 layers in total.
- ►Repeat steps until all 4 portions are complete. Garnish each dish with a few fresh raspberries. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Erin Harris
Erin Harris is a classically trained chef who spent time living and working in Italy early in her career. After years of being an enthusiast of fine cheese, Erin studied and trained to become a Certified Cheese Professional through the ACS. Combining her passion for fine food and cheese, today Erin is a cheesemonger and a freelance recipe developer and consultant. In her free time, Erin can be found traveling in search of her next cultural adventure.
