Parfait (frozen)

Unlike the tall glass layered with ice cream and fruit that many Americans call a parfait, the classic frozen parfait is defined by its ingredients instead of its container. A professional frozen desserts book describes a flavor base, typically a fruit puree or chocolate, that is melted and cooled, then folded into a foam. The foam starts from either a cooked egg yolk foam or an Italian meringue.

Whipped heavy cream forms the dominant foam, and the book stresses that proper foaming is crucial. Sugar and flavoring are added, and the mixture is poured into a mold and then frozen. The mold can be a sheet pan extender or a terrine mold, and the frozen block is cut into portions. Because the structure comes from air whipped into the cream and egg base, the result is light and sliceable without being churned like ice cream.