One of the most famous Sicilian desserts is the Almond Parfait: in French “parfait” means “perfect” or “impeccable” and this semifreddo certainly is because it is based on a few simple and genuine ingredients to enhance the flavor of the almonds. The pouring of hot chocolate makes it very suitable as a dessert at the end of a meal.
Its origins can be traced back to the 1960s and to the Cascino chefs of the “La Botte” restaurant in Monreale, or to the pastry chef Beninati of Palermo; there is also another story, which traces it back to the palace of Versailles, where Louis XIV’s pastry chef created, after various attempts, “a cream never seen before: soft, velvety and totally free of grains of ice”.
Whether it comes from Palermo or whether its origins are older is of little importance: what matters is that it is a semifreddo absolutely worth trying.
Its ingredients are:

• 250 gr almond with the skin;
• 300 gr sugar;
• 4 eggs;
• 500 ml double cream;
• almond essence.

The procedure, if you allow, is a chef’s secret…