I think parfaits lend themselves perfectly to a Fourth of July celebration—stripes of red, white, and blue coolness, and even easier than pie, right? Which is what you want on a day full of picnics, parades, and fireworks. Make these a day or so ahead and let them chill in the fridge. Or, if you’d prefer, make one large trifle in a cut-glass bowl rather than individual parfaits. Either way—delicious!
1 (4.6-oz.) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding prepared with 3 cups of milk, according to package directions, and cooled
1 qt. strawberries
1 pt. blueberries
2 cups coarsely crushed vanilla wafers
2 bananas, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1. Cook the pudding according to the package directions. Let cool. Set aside a few small whole strawberries and blueberries for garnish. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries.
2. Divide half of the pudding among six to eight wine or juice glasses. Top with half of the vanilla wafers and the sliced strawberries. Add the remaining pudding, and then the remaining vanilla wafers, the banana slices, and the blueberries.
3. Beat the cream and powdered sugar at high speed in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Top each parfait with the whipped cream and garnish with a halved whole strawberry and a few blueberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.