Citrus Almond Parfait

There are days that I have time to cook more complicated meals and days when dinner happens more or less at the last minute. It might be some speedy pasta with fresh tomatoes and garlic, some fish, lightly fried, served with a salad or some leftover rice turned into fried rice with the addition of chopped vegetables, diced omelette and bacon.

When dinner is this effortless, dessert has to be, too. Some perfectly ripe fruit. Some quality dark chocolate. Some refreshing sorbet. A handful of home-made toffee almonds.

This dessert — Citrus Almond Parfait — is almost as easy. For the base I’ve used a good Greek style yoghurt. On top I’ve added mandarin segments as we’re in the middle of citrus season at the moment, along with natural sliced almonds, shavings of good dark chocolate and a generous dribble of honey.

If you’re a fan of the gourmet yoghurt shops that have popped up everywhere over the last few years, you’ll love this dessert. Vary the toppings as you wish – flaked almonds with berries, banana or stone fruits would be equally good, while those with a real sweet tooth could add crumbled chocolate or gingerbread biscuits, or even a few chopped jaffas (chocolate orange balls) or maltesers (chocolate malt balls), too.

You could even put the yoghurt and toppings on the table in small dishes and let your guests help themselves – children especially love making their own.

If you have any leftovers, which I can’t guarantee, they do make a very nice and healthy breakfast the next day, too. Enjoy!