Kaya Butter Toast Crunch Parfait
A café dessert in a glass: buttery, caramelised toast croutons layered with pandan kaya and coconut whipped cream, finished with toasted coconut and flaky salt.
Method
Cut the bread into 1.5 cm cubes. Melt the butter in a 24 cm pan on medium-low heat, add the cubes and toss to coat, sprinkle with the sugar and toast for , tossing often, until golden and crisp all over with the sugar lightly caramelised. Spread on a plate to cool; they crisp up further as they cool.
Add in this stepWhite sandwich bread 2Butter 20 gSugar 2 tsp
medium-low heatToast the coconut in a dry pan on medium-low heat for , stirring nonstop, and tip it out as soon as it turns light gold. It can burn in seconds, so don't walk away.
Add in this stepUnsweetened desiccated coconut 2 tbsp
medium-low heatWhip the cold cream with the thick coconut cream using a hand mixer for , until it holds soft peaks that curl over at the tip. Over-whipped cream splits like butter, so stop in time.
Add in this stepHeavy cream (35% fat or more), cold 160 mlCoconut milk (the thick cream from the top of a chilled can) 4 tbsp
Stir the kaya until loose (10 seconds in the microwave if it is firm). Into 2 glasses of about 300 ml, spoon a layer of kaya, then coconut cream, then toast crunch, and repeat once.
Add in this stepKaya (from the classic recipe, or store-bought) 6 tbsp
Top with the remaining toast crunch, the toasted coconut and a few flakes of salt, and serve right away. A little salt makes the sweetness sing. After 15 minutes the crunch softens, so layer just before eating.
Add in this stepFlaky salt 1 pinch
Cook's tip
The toast crunch keeps for 3 days in an airtight container, so make it ahead. Greek yogurt instead of cream gives a tangier parfait. Add a layer of coffee jelly or mango to make it look like a café menu item.
Cooking it at camp
Make the toast crunch and toasted coconut at home in airtight tubs, and pack the kaya and cream in the cooler. At camp, shake the cream in a closed jar hard for 3 to 4 minutes to whip it. Layer in cups and eat straight away.