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Recipe: Chef Jesse Brune’s Apple Parfait

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Being a private chef in Beverly Hills has taught me a few things about the holidays, especially when it comes to finding new ways to make my dishes more delicious and less naughty. On top of keeping the calorie-count down, most of my clients also request that all the ingredients be organic. So, it’s a balancing act of healthy but tasty, organic but fun, plain but colorful.

Here is a fantastic alternative to the traditional apple pie that we love to devour this time of year. It’s an apple pie parfait served in wine glasses. It’s elegant without losing it’s edge.

WHAT YOU NEED

**I use Xylitol, an all-natural sugar subsitute that has about 1/3 of the calories of sugar, in my baking and cooking. It has no chemicals and no additives, just sugar alcohols. The only thing to be aware of is that Xylitol is not good for dogs… so don’t feed the pups the treats!

Crust

– 1 cup toasted almonds
– 1/2 cup raw oatmeal
– 1 tbsp xylitol (or sugar)
– 1-1/2 tbsp raw honey (or honey)
– 2 tbsp filtered water

Apple-filling

– 4 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
– 1 tbsp xylitol (or sugar)
– 1 tbsp raw honey (or honey)
– 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
– 1 tsp ground nutmeg
– 1 tsp ground cloves
– 1 tbsp organic butter

Topping

– 1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
– 1/4 cup whipping cream
– 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
– 1 tbsp raw honey (or honey)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Crust — Place all ingredients in a blender. Mix until they are incorporated and a doughy consistency is achieved. Remove from blender and divide among 4 wine glasses. Press the dough into the cups firmly with a spoon, creating the crusty foundation of the dessert. Set aside in fridge.

Apple-filling — Melt butter over medium heat in a medium pan on the stove top. Add the apples and allow them to cook down with the butter for about 3 minutes. Add the seasonings and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the sweetener and honey and stir again. Allow to cook together for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until the apples are soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Then take the wine glasses out of the fridge and evenly divide the filling between them. Return the glasses to the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.

Topping — Place all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Blend with an electrical mixer at high-speed until a “whipped cream” consistency is achieved. It may not be totally whipped (fluffy is fine), and that’s okay, the yogurt will weigh the topping down a bit. Place the topping in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

To assemble, generously divide the topping with a metal spoon among the glasses. Place a cinnamon stick at an angle into each parfait, or lightly sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of the desserts.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Level of difficulty: easy-medium

By Jesse Brune for UsMagazine.com. For more of Jesse’s tips, visit his Web site.

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