1    Egg whites; large
1 pn Cream of tartar
2/3 c  Sugar
1/2 lb Mascarpone cheese
2 tb Dark rum
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate; fine
-quality/chopped fine
1 c  Butter cookies; crumbs or
-pound cake crumbs
1 c  Coffee; brewed/lukewarm

-GARNISH –
2 oz Bittersweet chocolate; chop
-fine

Put the eggwhites in a bowl of an electric mixer and put the bowl in a
second bowl of hot water and let the whites stand, stirring occasionally,
for 15 minutes.

Add the cream of tartar and salt and bet the whites until they just hold
stiff peaks. While the whites are being beaten, in a saucepan combine the
sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to
dissolve the sugar, and boil the syrup until it registers 240 deg. on a
candy thermometer. Add the sugar syrup to the whites in a stream,
slowly,while beating and beat the mixture until it is cool. Add the
mascarpone, rum and chocolate and beat until well combined. Divide the
cookie or cake crumbs among 4 stemmed glasses. Drizzle each portion with 2
tablespoons of the coffee and top the crumbs with half the mascarpone
mixture. Layer the remaining cookie crumbs, coffee and mascarpone mixture
in the same manner. Chill the parfaits, covered for a minimum of 2 hours,
or overnight.

Garnish: In a metal bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt
the chocolate. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the chocolate
about 1/8″ thick on the foil. Chill the chocolate triangles on the baking
sheet until it is just set, but not hard, and with a pastry wheel, cut it
into triangles. Chill the chocolate triangles on the baking sheet until
they have hardened and peel the foil carefully from them. Garnish each
parfait with a chocolate triangle.