Valentine's Dessert

With St. Valentine's Day upon us, show someone you love how much you appreciate them by making this dessert.  Don't have enough time to make pudding from scratch?  Just make the pomegranate compote on your own and use a mix for the pudding!

New to using pomegranates?  No worries - here are some tips to get you going:
To seed a pomegranate, fill a large bowl with water.  Lightly score the fruit into quarters from crown to stem end, cutting though the skin but not into the interior of the fruit.  Hold the fruit under water, break it apart and use your hands to gently separate the plump seeds (arils) from the outer skin and white pith.  The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl and the pith will float to the surface.  Discard the pith.  Pour the seeds into a colander.  Rinse and pat dry.  Seeds can be frozen for up to 3 months.  

Valentine's Vanilla-Pomegranate Parfaits

Ingredients
  Pomegranate Compote

• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds 
• 2/3 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

  Pudding

• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds for garnish
• 6 mint sprigs for garnish

Preparation

1.  To prepare compote:  Mix 2 Tablespoons sugar with 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Add pomegranate seeds, pomegranate juice, and lemon juice; stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until syrupy, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Refrigerate while you prepare the pudding. 
2.  To prepare the pudding:  Combine milk and half-and-half in a medium heavy saucepan.  Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract).  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes.  
3. Meanwhile, whisk egg, egg yolk, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch in a medium bowl.  Reheat the milk mixture just until steaming.  Carefully whisk one-third of the steaming milk into the egg mixture.  Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
4. To prepare parfaits: Divide the pomegranate compote among six 6-ounce (3/4 cup) parfait glasses, ramekins, or other small dessert cups.  Spoon the pudding mixture over the compote.  Cover and refrigerate until the pudding is well-chilled and firm, at least 3 hours.  To serve, garnish each parfait with pomegranate seeds and a mint sprig, if desired.
5. To make ahead, prepare the compote (Step 1), cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day.  Cover and refrigerate parfaits for up to 8 hours.  

Recipe Courtesy of EatingWell.com