Cheesecake seems to be one of those desserts that almost everybody loves and this parfait-style treat reminds me of a popular dish from the 1970s. I tend to make anything cheesecakey with mascarpone because of its soft, satiny texture; it also happens to have much less sodium than cream cheese. Combining whipped mascarpone with barely-cooked sweet cherries and crushed cookies makes this a super-fast, super-tasty no-bake dessert that’s also super-easy to prepare. If you want to make it even simpler, substitute canned cherry pie filling for the fresh cherries.
Ingredients
* Substitute with cream cheese if you prefer
Directions
Put prepared cherries, water and almond extract in a small pot over medium-low heat.
Blend together 3 tbsp white sugar with cornstarch and sprinkle over cherries. Stir to blend well.
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until cherries are slightly softened and sauce is glossy and thick.
Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl; refrigerate to cool.
While cherry mixture is cooling, in a medium bowl, blend together mascarpone and ¼ cup sugar; beat until smooth.
To assemble parfaits, place about 2 tablespoons the cherry mixture in the bottom of four serving dishes (small mason jars, cocktail glasses or even wine glasses work well).
Put 2 tablespoons of the mascarpone mixture on top, then add a tablespoon of the crushed cookies.
Repeat all three layers then top with one cherry half.
Refrigerate for up to four hours until ready to serve.
Makes 6 - 8 individual desserts depending upon the size of your dishes
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