Blackcurrant Parfait with Creme de Cassis

We were sitting in a sunny plaza along the Burgundy wine trail, Route des Grands Crus, in France. We had a small bottle of Creme de Cassis, blackcurrant liqueur, that we’d bought from the Cassissium, a museum dedicated to the blackcurrant, cassis in French.

We’d just come from the supermarket Intermarché with yogurt cups for a mid-day snack. As we sat eating the plain yogurt, we had an amazing revelation. Why not pour a little liqueur in the yogurt?

All of a sudden, it was a boozy blackcurrant parfait with the delicious jammy taste of blackcurrant swirled with creamy yogurt.

Blackcurrant isn’t a popular flavor in the U.S., but it is in Europe. And you can buy a bottle here that’s right out the town we were sitting in – Nuits-Saint-Georges, part of the Cote de Nuits wine region in Burgundy.

We’re carry-on people, so I couldn’t bring this back from France. I bought it at BevMo!

Creme de cassis is a syrupy sweet dark red liqueur with an earthy blackberry kind of taste. It’s most famous use is in a Kir — the liqueur is mixed with white wine — or in a Kir Royale, mixed with champagne, specifically Crémant de Bourgogne.

But the amazing flavor goes perfectly with yogurt. This parfait recipe get its crunch and extra sweetness from candied walnuts. It’s a French-inspired dessert that’s so easy to make.

I didn’t candy any walnuts on that bench in Burgundy, but it’s so simple I could have. Melt some butter in a pan, toss in some walnuts and sugar and stir constantly until they look glossy and coated with sugar.

Spread them out on parchment to cool, separating the pieces quickly before they fuse together.

Put some yogurt in a stemless wine glass or glass bowl. Top with creme de cassis, more yogurt then more creme de cassis and walnuts. Voilà! A no-fail French dessert in about 10 minutes.

Blackcurrant Parfait with Candied Walnuts and Creme de Cassis A boozy dessert inspired by Burgundy.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts (halves and pieces okay)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. butter
Creme de cassis or blackcurrant liqueur (See Notes)
2 cups full-fat, plain Greek or regular yogurt
Instructions
1. Prepare a piece of parchment paper for cooling the walnuts and set out two spoons to separate them as they cool.
2. Melt butter in a pan on medium-low. Add sugar and walnuts and stir frequently over medium heat until walnuts look coated with a sugar glaze. It’ll be right before they start to burn!
3. Place walnuts onto parchment paper and separate quickly with the two spoons so they don’t solidify in one big clump. Let cool.
4. Place 1/2 cup of yogurt into a stemless wine glass or glass bowl. Top with 1 tablespoon of creme de cassis, other 1/2 cup of yogurt and another tablespoon of creme de cassis. Repeat for second glass. Garnish with candied walnuts.
Notes
Creme de Cassis/Blackcurrant Liqueur: You can get this from a well-stocked liquor store or grocery store. Not drinking alcohol? Blackcurrant syrup is a good alternative.
Candied Walnuts recipe adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen