Date Night definitely deserves a stunning dessert that’s easy to make and beautiful to serve. My Spiced Apple and Amaretto Mascarpone Parfaits layer sweet cinnamon amaretto apples and whipped amaretto mascarpone for a delicious treat to kick off the Fall season!
Spiced Apple and Amaretto Mascarpone Parfaits
For a relaxed but elegant date night dinner at home, it has to have a really special dessert. It’s the last thing served, so you want it to be memorable. And of course there are times when buying a dessert just makes the most sense. Particularly if I’m cooking something a bit more elaborate, I probably want to save my energy elsewhere and might just pick up the dessert.
But for my No Cook Date Night Dinner, part of the fun is finding ways to keep date night laid back while still putting in effort on the details that make the night special. And my Spiced Apple and Amaretto Mascarpone Parfaits are worth the little extra effort they take.
These parfaits are beautiful as they alternate layers of spiced apples and mascarpone that’s been whipped with a bit of amaretto. The apples are the only part that involve a bit of cooking as I cook them down on the stove for a few minutes with butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and amaretto. Then I can layer the parfaits and just keep them in the fridge until we’re ready to enjoy them. Pick a gorgeous glass to serve them in, and they’re worth the bit of effort earlier in the day to serve something so glamorous for dessert.
These parfaits are also perfect to bridge the gap from summer into fall. They’re sweet and creamy but still have those autumnal notes that let you know the seasons are about to change. Serve them with my September Freeze cocktail, which includes apple cider, white wine, and amaretto, for a perfect dessert/cocktail pairing.
September is one of the busiest months in my life, so having a beautiful make ahead dessert like this that requires very little cooking is a total blessing. And your date night will end on the sweetest note.
Spiced Apple and Amaretto Mascarpone Parfaits
Ingredients
Method
- Start by making the spiced apples. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook until the apples are tender but not cooked down like applesauce, 5 minutes. Add the Amaretto and lemon juice. Cook for an additional minute, then remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool completely.
- In the base of an electric mixer, add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form. In a separate small bowl, mix the mascarpone and Amaretto to loosen. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone in two batches. Mix gently until smooth being careful not to overwhip.
- Once the apples are cool, spoon half of the apples into the bottom of two dessert glasses. Then spoon half the mascarpone mixture over the apples. Sprinkle with crushed amaretti cookies. Then repeat with the apples and mascarpone mixture. Place the glasses in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with remaining crushed amaretti cookies (adding these too early will make them lose their crunch). Garnish with an amaretti cookie. Serve and enjoy!
Hosting Tips
- This dessert can definitely be made in advance and kept in the fridge until time to serve. The only thing I would wait on adding is the amaretti cookies on top until just before dessert time. If you add them too early, they’ll lose their crunch.
- Can’t find amaretti cookies? Feel free to substitute with ginger snaps, graham crackers, or even toasted almonds.
- When cooking the apples, they should still have a bit of bite to them when you’re finished cooking. If you overcook them, they’ll be more like applesauce on your mascarpone layer.
- This dessert is not overly sweet. If you prefer a dessert that is more on the sweet side, I’d add another tbsp of brown sugar when cooking the apples or another tbsp of powdered sugar to the mascarpone. I think keeping it not too sweet makes it more elegant to serve.
- Feel free to garnish with more amaretti cookies on the side for a lovely finish.
The Flavors of Fall
Parfaits are such an elegant way to bring a bit of sweetness to Date Night. Just pick a gorgeous glass, and you’re half way there! These Spiced Apple ones are so delicious and feel like the perfect kick off to a beautiful Fall. I love to serve them alongside Italian Tuna sandwiches, a whipped ricotta salad, and a frozen apple cider white wine cocktail for my No Cook Date Night. It makes for a simple way to create a romantic night in at the beginning of Fall.
I have some other truly gorgeous Fall desserts on the blog including these sweet Chai Pumpkin Pie Tarlets, which are always a welcome addition to date night. Or try my Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread with Hazelnut Streusel for a delicious fall treat that’s entirely make ahead. My Honey and Thyme Vanilla Bean Skillet Cake would work well for a dessert that echoes the honey and thyme in the whipped ricotta salad. That one is always a winner.
I’m so excited for all of the Fall flavors to come in the next few months. These Spiced Apple and Amaretto Mascarpone Parfaits have me dreaming of sweet and spice for days!
