Mango-Lime Parfait

A soft, cool, and smooth dessert. For a strong citrus flavour, add one whole peeled lemon or lime to the blender in addition to the lemon or lime juice called for in the recipe. Before adding the dates, taste the mango mixture; you may not want to add too many if the mangoes are already sweet.

Crust:
1 cup (250 mL) almonds, soaked 8 to 12 hours
3 tsp (15 mL) maple syrup

Filling:
4 cups (1 L) coarsely chopped mango (about 5 mangoes)
1 cup (250 mL) lime or lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) lime or lemon zest
4 to 8 dates, pitted and chopped

For crust: After soaking almonds dry them with a towel. Finely chop almonds in food processor. Mix in maple syrup. Set aside.

For filling: In a blender, place the mango pieces; blend until smooth. Add the juice, zest, and dates; process until smooth. Be patient. Mango is a very fibrous fruit and you want to achieve smooth, pudding-like results.

Set out 4 parfait or wine glasses. Place some of the crust mixture at the bottom of each glass; add a layer of 3 or more tablespoons of the mango mixture; add another layer of crust. Repeat layers, finishing with the crust. Serves 4.

Variation 1: Substitute papaya or persimmon for mango.

Variation 2: Add another layer, consisting of thinly sliced kiwi fruit or strawberries.

Source: alive #264, October 2004