Addictive Mascarpone Strawberry creams.
This was one of my June 2012 recipes for National Foundation for Celiac Awareness - now Beyond Celiac.
This is a very soft, very rich dessert. Don’t substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone, there is no comparison in the flavor. You can make this by substituting ricotta and lining small ramekins with cheesecloth so excess liquid drains out. This is very similar to the Easter Cheese I would make for Lithuanian Easter, but that is made with Farmers Cheese, which you could also use. But note that both Ricotta and Farmers Cheese don't taste nearly as rich as mascarpone. Try also using sweet raspberries, peaches, nectarines. It is far easier to put entire recipe in one pretty serving bowl and just spoon it out to serve with the shortbreads. You can also spoon mix into individual small ramekins or similar small containers. Even set with 1 tsp of unflavored gelatin to one tablespoon of water the mix is still too soft to stay firm on a plate. The picture shows mix refrigerated in silicon mini ‘flower pot’ with more set mix on top to look like ice cream cone.
8 oz, 250 g mascarpone or ricotta cheese
6 tbsp, 90 ml powdered/icing sugar
2 tbsp, 30 ml orange or almond liqueur that you can tolerate or 2 tsps (10ml) of gluten free vanilla or almond extract if people don’t like liqueurs or there are children around.
1 x 3.5 oz, 100 g, bar of Lindt white chocolate, finely grated. Lindt says their white chocolate is gluten free, but is prepared on shared lines with careful cleaning protocols.
1 c, 8 fl oz 250 ml heavy/whipping/double cream
About 8 large strawberries, washed, hulled and cut up quite small. If you are going to make this in a large bowl just add as many strawberries or other fruit as you want.
1. Mix the mascarpone with sugar, liqueur, grated chocolate and liquid cream.
2. Add fruit of choice. Now taste to see if you want more sugar or liqueur to your taste.
3. Stir in prepared fruit. Now either put into one container, or divide among 8 small ramekins. If you like melt 1 tsp gelatin with one tablespoon of cold water and stir into cheese mix. Line small ramekins with plastic wrap, add cheese mix, leave to set in fridge, then very carefully turn out onto individual plates and remove plastic wrap. It is far easier to leave in ramekins or big bowl.
4. Refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to develop.
Mascarpone is sold in both 8 oz and 1 lb tubs, so you can easily double this recipe. Do check the stores as prices can be double in certain stores for the same brand of mascarpone cheese. Look to buy it in advance of wanting to make it, since it frequently sells out. I pay about $5 for 1 lb of Bel Gioiso Mascarpone in my supermarket. There is also a tub of mascarpone that has some flavorings added for making Tiramisu - I've never tried it and prefer to add my own tastes.
