What to do with the Mascarpone...

Mascarpone Brownies with Mascarpone Cheese Frosting

Have you ever purchased ingredients to make an amazing dish and then just didn't have time in your busy schedule... with the same ingredients creating waste in the fridge?

Over the holidays I purchased a container of mascarpone cheese. I had very good intentions to produce luscious desserts, but, as with all good intentions they sometimes fall to the wayside with our busy lives. I should have known I couldn't eat another sweet over the holiday season no matter how good it sounded!



So what do I do with the mascarpone now that the holidays are over for another year and all the company has gone home! I came across this recipe using mascarpone cheese. It doesn't exactly fit into my whole healthy promises to myself for 2008, but, as long as I am sharing....

Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese, made from a generally low-fat (25%) fresh cream. (good for you... No?) . It's made from the milk of cows that have been fed special grasses filled with fresh herbs and flowers -- a special diet that creates a unique taste often described as "fresh and delicious." Milky-white in color, it is a thick cream that is easily spread. It is often is used in place of butter to thicken and enrich rissoti. In Italy, a favorite preparation is a savory spread, mixing the cheese with anchovies, mustard and spices and spreading it on bread...next time!!!! But it is often just served with fruit, or it can be mixed with hot chocolate or coffee. I'm sure there are a 1001 more ways to serve this fresh cheese.

This recipe called for the use of Mascarpone in the brownies. It added a light delicate texture to the brownies while still being a chewy brownie that I love. Looking still further I searched the net for a Mascarpone frosting to top my brownies. I wanted chocolate so I changed the recipe up a little bit. The choice of the mascarpone adds a lighter texture once again to the frosting. All in all I really enjoyed these brownies...any takers?

**Mascarpone Brownies with Mascarpone Cheese Frosting**

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
8 oz mascarpone
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 -2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9 x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Melt ½ cup of butter with the chocolate.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a mixer using a paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, 6 tablespoons of softened butter, and the sugar until light and smooth. Add the eggs to the cheese mixture one at a time and thoroughly scrape the bowl after each egg is added. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the melted chocolate and mix just until combined. Finally, add the dry ingredients and nuts and mix slowly just until combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

Note: The brownies will rise during the baking process, but after being removed from the oven will collapse to a normal height. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Mascarpone Frosting

8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons butter
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoon vanilla
1- 2 cups icing sugar

Melt chocolate with butter and milk in saucepan. Allow to cool. Beat mascarpone until well combined. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate mixture. Add in confectioners sugar, scraping down the bowl as you go. When it has all been incorporated, beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until icing is smooth.

Frost brownies with icing.

Makes 1 dozen

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