This week’s dessert location, Vanuatu, is one my favourite holiday destinations and was recently the setting for my honeymoon. In my humble opinion, one of most relaxing things that one can do on holiday is to eat desserts and Vanuatu punches above its weight in terms of delicious local produce.

For those who haven’t visited, Vanuatu is a series of small islands in the Pacific, about three hours flight from Sydney. My husband spent a few months living on Vanuatu working as an archaeologist and it reminds me of him; relaxed, warm and quirky. One of Vanuatu’s islands, Tanna, is home to an active volcano, and also a coffee plantation. If you are ever in Vanuatu, you need to try Tanna coffee — my husband and I love it so much we order it regularly so we can have it for weekend coffee at home. However Vanuatu also has an abundance of fresh fruit, including coconuts, mango, bananas, pineapples… the list goes on.

This week’s dessert utilises Tanna coffee in the mousse and crumb, but you can substitute any coffee you have on hand at home. The coconut parfait is simple to make, yet creamy and delicious. While we tried a mango coulis with this dessert, we think a lemon or orange curd would also work beautifully. With the Australian winter almost upon us, this dessert is the perfect antidote to short days and frosty mornings.