Christmas Day Parfaits

Ingredients

• 3 cups raspberries
• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 3 tbsp (to 4) sugar (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1¼ cup heavy cream
• 5 peppermint tea bags
• 10 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1½ pint vanilla ice cream

Procedures

1. Set aside about 18 raspberries and 6 sprigs of fresh mint for garnish.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a pot and add the remaining raspberries.
3. Stir gently to coat the berries with the liquid.
4. Cover the pot and, over medium heat, cook the berries just till they soften, but do not lose their shape, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Take the remaining fresh mint leaves off their stems and chop coarsely.
7. In a medium pot, over medium-high heat, scald the cream.
8. Remove from heat and add the tea bags along with the fresh mint leaves.
9. Let steep until the cream is completely cool.
10. Squeeze the tea bags out into the cream, strain it, and return the cream to the pot.
11. Put the pot back om the heat and scald it again.
12. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until it is completely melted.
13. This sauce can be made in advance and then heated up at the last minute.
14. Line up 6 parfait or pilsner glasses and put a tablespoon of the raspberry sauce in the bottom of each.
15. Layer the ice cream, chocolate mint sauce, and raspberry sauce twice, ending with the raspberry sauce on top.
16. Add a few uncooked raspberries and garnish with the fresh mint sprigs.