This rye bread parfait with cranberries combines toasted rye bread crumbles, a sweet-and-sour berry sauce and light whipped cream. Served in glasses, this layered dessert looks festive, yet it doesn’t require an oven to make. It can be prepared in advance and simply decorated before serving.

Quantity: 4 portions
Preparation: about 30 minutes
Cooling: at least 2 hours

Ingredients for the rye bread layer

For a layer of brown bread

• 180 g of seedless brown bread, preferably slightly stale
• 20 g butter
• 25 g brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

For cranberry sauce

• 200 g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 60 g sugar
• 40 ml of water

For the whipped cream layer

• 300 ml cold sweet cream (at least 35%)
• 20 g icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

For decoration, as desired

• Crushed freeze-dried cranberries
• 4 small meringue biscuits

How to make a rye bread layer cake with cranberries

1. Make the cranberry sauce

Place the cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash the berries with a spoon. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. It should be thick enough to be spooned, not runny like syrup.

2. Toast the brown bread

Grate the brown bread or crumble it into small pieces. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring, over a medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon, and stir for a further 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool completely.

3. Whip the cream until stiff

Whip the chilled whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla until it holds its shape. Stop whipping before the cream becomes grainy.

4. Create layers

Divide the rye bread crumb mixture, cranberry sauce and whipped cream between four dessert glasses. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of whipped cream on top. Divide all the ingredients evenly between the portions. It is important that the sauce and breadcrumbs have cooled down so that they do not melt the whipped cream.

5. Leave to cool and decorate

Cover the glasses and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the flavours to blend and the rye bread to soften. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped freeze-dried cranberries and top with a meringue biscuit.

Teaching tips

• Choose wholemeal bread without a strong caraway flavour if you want a milder dessert.
• If the cranberries are particularly sour, taste the sauce and add a little more sugar.
• You can also arrange the desserts in a single glass dish.
• Add the meringue just before serving, so that it remains crisp.

Can I use cranberry jam?

Yes — you can replace the homemade sauce with around 200–250 g of thick cranberry jam. Its sweetness will affect the result, so add icing sugar to the whipped cream to taste. Cranberry syrup on its own is not an equivalent substitute, as it is more runny; you can use it as a drink to accompany the dessert.