A Tale of Two Desserts

• The word parfait has two different meanings in the world of desserts. A traditional French parfait is a dessert reminiscent of ice cream that's frozen in a mold or glass, says chef Daniel Pliska. By the time the parfait was introduced in America, it was made differently. It's a fairly recent addition to menus here; a 1909 issue of "The Ice Cream Trade Journal" described the parfait as "one of the new creations that is destined in time to become very popular." The journal advises making a parfait by mixing ice cream with whipped cream and topping the mixture with traditional sundae toppings. In America today, the term "ice cream parfait" generally refers to a sundae made by layering ice cream with other toppings in a tall, narrow parfait glass.

Constructing the Perfect Parfait

• You can't go wrong with this parfait template: start with ice cream, add one layer of crunch, add a layer of creamy syrup or sauce, add another layer of ice cream and finish with a few toppings. If you're feel extra decadent, swirl syrup at the bottom of the glass before adding the first scoop of ice cream. Try using two flavors of ice cream and keep the fillings basic -- for instance, combine pistachio and strawberry ice cream with hot fudge and crumbled chocolate cookies -- or use one flavor of ice cream and let the fillings shine. Make your own blackberry or bourbon caramel sauce and layer cereal, pretzels, dark chocolate shavings or fresh fruit between scoops of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Try experimenting with layers of pudding and whipped cream, too.

Unconventional Ideas

• Once you've perfected the basic parfait, experiment with unexpected ingredients. If you like spice, top cinnamon ice cream with crushed cinnamon candy, granola, cooked apple and vanilla ice cream. This parfait starts off sweet but gets spicy as you dig down to the bottom. Sprinkle sea salt or drizzle olive oil between layers of ice cream and fudge, or swap out crushed cookies for popcorn, potato chips or candied fruit peel. You may also serve these treats in place of cake at a child's birthday for a kid-pleasing yet grown-up looking dessert. Use the child's favorite color as your guide -- for instance, layer strawberry ice cream, raspberries and crushed pink macaroons for a girly girl -- or make rainbow parfaits with ice creams in various shades, layered with gummy worms.

Serving a Parfait

• To be considered a parfait, your dessert needs to be served in a certain kind of dish. Ideally you'll use true parfait glasses. A parfait glass is tall and narrow, widens at the top,and has a wide base. It might have fluting detail at the opening. You may also use a tall bar glass, drinking glass or even a mason jar in a pinch -- whatever vessel you use, it should be made of clear glass or plastic so the layers are visible. Serve a parfait with a long spoon that can reach every last drip of delectable fudge at the bottom of the glass.