no. 143: toasted coconut, hazelnut, and Biscoff parfait

Plus, an exciting professional milestone!!

This week I celebrated the 5-year anniversary of getting laid off from my media job, which unintentionally led to the beginning of my freelance business (after a few months of kicking it on unemployment, courtesy of the state of New York). It truly was the best thing to ever happen to me, and I am so happy that I get to do what I do.

Self employment can feel isolating at times, but it always helps to have friends who are living that good ol’ freelance life right alongside you. Lucky for me, I happen to know Alexis and Karlee, both of whom make a living the same way I do: cooking delicious food.

Content creators 🙄

Unfortunately for Karlee and I, Alexis lives in upstate NY, so we don’t get to cook with her nearly as much as we’d like to. That said, Alexis was here in LA last week, so she came over to my apartment ,and the three of us wasted no time to make a truly iconic weekday lunch. While y’all were DoorDashing Sweetgreen, Karlee was grilling us ribeyes. Lucky us!

Taters, steak, and parfait!

On this epic menu, we have Alexis’ Crispy Halloumi and Zhoug Smashed Potatoes, Karlee’s Charred Pepper Butter Ribeyes with Radish Salad, and my Toasted Coconut, Hazelnut, and Biscoff Parfait. Head to Alexis’ and Karlee’s newsletters for their respective recipes!

Toasted Coconut, Hazelnut, and Biscoff Parfait

Makes: 6-8 parfaits

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

The idea for my recipe admittedly came out of necessity because I was originally going to make a much more involved dessert recipe before I decided at the last minute that it was too annoying. This pivot in the final hour led to a dessert that has never failed me: a parfait.

I made a toasty cookie crumble which I spent most of the afternoon shoveling straight into my mouth. I cannot understate how much I love incorporating Biscoff into any dessert. Those cookies go crazy!!!

Alongside this nutty cookie dust, I layered it with a homemade mango curd (though I am fully in support of using your favorite store bought curd), whipped cream, and macerated fruit. It was delightfully simple and delicious.