Cherry and Almond Parfait Pots

I fell head over heels for yoghurt parfait pots on my trip to Canada.  We stayed in a tiny log cabin in the middle of the woods run by a lovely English lady and her gorgeous black lab, and the homemade breakfasts they served up were seriously incredible.  As well as vanilla pancakes, maple bacon and breakfast quiche, they also served up yoghurt parfait pots – which are simple and healthy, but practically like having dessert for breakfast.

So, when I got back to Cardiff I had to whip up my own little parfait kit so I could scoff them at home.  A little prep involved, but once you’ve made up the “kit” these sweet pots with cherry jam and almond granola make a speedy and satisfying breakfast in the week when you’re in a rush. 🙂

Cherry and Almond Parfait

Ingredients

For the Almond Granola:

• 200g porridge oats
• 100g shaved almonds
• 100g dried cherries
• 1 tbsp almond extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 150ml maple syrup
• 100ml coconut oil

For the Cherry Jam:

• 100g of fresh pitted cherries
• 100g jam sugar
• 100ml lemon juice

To Serve:

• Natural Yoghurt
• Fresh Cherries
• A glass jar

1. To make the granola, mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl and then spread evenly on a lined baking tray.  Bake the granola in the oven at 160 for about 45 minutes – making sure you pop in and rearrange it so that the mix bakes evenly.
2. Once it’s cooked, leave it out to cool and dry out to ensure a good crunch, then transfer into an air tight container.
3. To make the jam, blitz your pitted cherries (for a smoother jam) and then pour them into a saucepan with the jam sugar and lemon juice.  Turn up the heat, allowing the sugar to dissolve and then allow it to hit a roaring boil for around 10 minutes.  You can check whether the jam has set by putting a plate in the freezer and then using it to test a blob.  If it runs when it hits the plate then it’s not ready, if it sticks, then it’s done!  Transfer into a sterilized jar, allowing the jam to cool before you seal it up.
4. How you make up your parfait pots is entirely up to you – I like to mix a little of the cherry jam into some natural yoghurt and then layer it with some more, plain natural yoghurt.  I top that off with another generous blob of jam and plenty of granola and then garnish with some fresh cherries. 🙂

You can catch a video of me whipping up this parfait pots over on Instagram TV.  If you’re not following, you can find me right here; just click the IGTV link in my profile to see this recipe and more.  Cheers to the weekend! 🙂