In North America, the term parfait usually means an ice cream dessert consisting of layers of ice cream and topping in a tall, thin glass. The original parfait, however, is a still-frozen dessert frozen in a tall, thin mold and unmolded for service. (No doubt the ice cream parfait is so named because the glass it is served in is similar in shape to a parfait mold.) The mixture for parfaits consists of three elements: a thick, sweet egg-yolk foam, an equal volume of whipped cream, and flavorings.
