Hed Chef: Triple Coffee Power Parfait that packs a punch

If you like coffee and yogurt, why not combine them to make your own coffee yogurt parfait? With a little effort, you can serve this cafe-worthy treat at home or as a gift.

It can be an energising breakfast, afternoon snack to perk you up or dessert to look forward to after a long day.

I am not one for overly sweet desserts, and the advantage of making your own is getting to control the sweetness by adjusting the amount of sugar or honey used.

I call this the Triple Coffee Power Parfait because it packs a triple dose of coffee.

There is coffee-flavoured yogurt, coffee konnyaku jelly and a topping of coffee-flavoured popcorn from Boxgreen, a local online company that provides a subscription service with a wide selection of pre-packed snacks in small portions.

Boxgreen is one of the exhibitors at this year's Singapore Coffee Festival, which is organised by The Straits Times.

Head down to the event to find out more about coffee, taste artisanal brews and learn how to roast your own coffee beans. 

I recommend using plain Greek-style yogurt, which is thicker than the usual plain yogurt. Add one to two drops of vanilla essence if you like.

I use instant coffee granules to flavour the yogurt to avoid adding liquid, which will dilute the yogurt.

Do not skip the step on dissolving the granules in a little yogurt first. It is much easier to do this first than attempt to dissolve the granules in the entire lot of yogurt.

If you do not mind the extra washing up, you can use a food processor or blender.

My tip is to prepare the coffee konnyaku jelly, which is pretty tasty on its own, the night before.

I use a strong coffee for extra flavour, but you are free to select your own. You can even use decaffeinated coffee.

The wonderful thing about yogurt parfait is that it is up to you to layer it the way you like and customise the ingredients.

I added fresh raspberries as their tartness provides a contrast to the richness of the yogurt. Go for blueberries, strawberries or blackberries if you prefer.

After rinsing the berries, do let them dry before adding to the parfait.

TRIPLE COFFEE POWER PARFAIT

(Yields two)

PART I: MAKING THE COFFEE KONNYAKU JELLY

INGREDIENTS

• 425ml strong coffee (room temperature)
• 80g white sugar
• 5g unflavoured konnyaku powder

METHOD

1. Pour coffee into saucepan.

2. Add sugar and konnyaku powder. Stir well.

3. Heat saucepan over medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.

4. Turn heat off and stir until there are no more bubbles.

5. Pour into heat-proof 20cm by 20cm container and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least three hours before use. This recipe will yield about 400g of coffee konnyaku jelly, but you will need only 200g to make two parfaits. You can save the rest for other desserts. It can keep in the fridge for a week.

6. Slice 200g of coffee konnyaku jelly into 1.5cm cubes. Set aside.

PART II: PREPARING COFFEE YOGURT

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 2 tbsp Greek-style yogurt
• 400ml Greek-style yogurt
• 3 tbsp honey

METHOD

1. In mixing bowl, place sugar, instant coffee granules and 2 tablespoons of yogurt. Whisk for 3 minutes until sugar and coffee granules dissolves.

2. Add in remaining yogurt and honey. Whisk to combine. Place yogurt in fridge until ready to assemble parfait.

PART III: ASSEMBLING THE PARFAIT

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pieces (80g) Choc Chunk Peanut Granola Square* (oats, chocolate, honey, oat flour, almonds, peanuts and peanut butter), broken into chunks
• 80g raspberries
• 420ml coffee yogurt
• 200g coffee konnyaku jelly, cubed
• 2 packets (60g) Dark Choc Mandarin Granola* (oats, gula melaka, dark chocolate chip, candied citrus peel and butter)
• 2 packets (60g) Rejuvenation Topper* (almond, pumpkin seed, chia seeds and goji berry)
• 1 packet (15g) Pop'in Kopi* (coffee-flavoured popcorn)

You will need two 350ml jars, each measuring 10cm in diameter.

METHOD

1. In one jar, arrange half of Choc Chunk Peanut Granola Square chunks and four to six raspberries in a layer. 

2. Layer with 3 tablespoons of coffee yogurt.

3. Arrange 5 to 6 cubes of coffee konnyaku jelly and 5 raspberries in a layer.

4. Layer with 1 packet Dark Choc Mandarin Granola. Add 2 tablespoons of coffee yogurt.

5. Top with 1 packet Rejuvenation Topper, 3 cubes of coffee konnayku and 2 raspberries.

6. Add half a packet of Pop'in Kopi* just before serving.

7. Repeat steps for other parfait.

* These products from Boxgreen are available through boxgreen.co

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Big brew of fun

The Singapore Coffee Festival is back and bigger. The second edition of this mega coffee festival will feature more than 80 exhibitors, including over 70 food and beverage players, over four days at Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

The exhibitors include ST Wine, a premium wine club by The Straits Times that offers a wine subscription service featuring curated wines from reputable merchants such as Asia Wine Network, Crystal Wines and Grape Palate. Visit the booth to enjoy special promotions.

The festival's programme line-up includes panel discussions and coffeerelated workshops.

• WHAT: Singapore Coffee Festival
• WHERE: Marina Bay Cruise Centre, 61, Marina Coastal Drive (Marina South Pier MRT station)
• WHEN: Aug 3 (for trade and media only, register at sgcoffeefestival.com); Aug 4 to 6 (10am to 3.30pm and 4.30pm to 10pm)
• ADMISSION: $22 ($18 for DBS and POSB cardholders, and The Straits Times subscribers). For details, go
  to sgcoffeefestival.com or e-mail sgcoffeefest@sph.com. sg