Mascarpone is a food that deludes me. Whenever I see it, I want it. Whenever I have it, I have no idea what to do with it. I'm convinced that I will find something amazing that just isn't quite right without it. So far, the best thing I've made with mascarpone was a berry pizza at a pizza night we had with another couple. The mascarpone was mixed with honey, spread on pizza, and baked. Then the whole thing was topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries. While we were all full from our zucchini vege pizza and C's salmon and dill pizza, we found the room for small slices of this dessert pizza because it was so tasty.
Other than that, I've used it in a batch of disappointing tuscan lemon muffins (they tasted like they were fried from the oil) and a fully-homemade lasanga. It tastes just like cream but it's very thick, so I don't have a clue how people use it as spread on muffins, etc. That just sounds gross.
There is an Italian cafe and market here in Houston that makes a delicious berry mascarpone gelato. I knew I had to try it myself. I scoured the web for recipes, but none of them seemed quite right. I wanted more than a tablespoon or two of mascarpone, but less than a cup (if you look at the nutrition label, you'll know why). I decided I'd try adapting my vanilla gelato recipe (based on David Leite's Pistachio Gelato). I wanted to reduce the fat in the gelato because the mascarpone would add plenty.
Objective
Make gelato with berries and mascarpone.
Materials
Custard base:
15 oz. sweet red cherries (in order of preference: fresh, frozen--thawed and drained, canned and drained)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (may add up to 2 tbsp. to taste)
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract (or vanilla) to taste, optional
Gelato:
3 oz. chocolate, melted over a double boiler and placed in a small sealable bag
1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped (optional)
Methods
1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the cherries in an 8x8" baking dish. Toss with 2 tbsp. sugar. Roast for 30 minutes or until the juices start flowing and bubbling. Chop 1/4 to 1/2 of the cherries and put them in the fridge to chill. Put the rest in the blender with the whole milk and cream. Blend until the cherries are smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm but do not boil the milk/cream/cherry puree. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until pale. When the cream is warm, transfer 1/4 cup to the whipped egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Pour this tempered mixture into the rest of the warm milk mixture and stir to prevent the eggs from cooking.
3. Continue to cook over medium heat. Stir the mixture until it thickens (around 175-180º). The custard should coat the back of a spoon (think the texture of pudding, but maybe a little less thick). Remove from heat. Transfer the custard to a large measuring cup or batter bowl with a spout.
4. Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl. Place the custard container in the water bath and stir the custard occasionally until cool. Whisk in the mascarpone. Stir in the almond or vanilla extract. Chill completely (overnight is best). Make sure the bowl of your ice cream maker is in the freezer chilling.
5. To prepare the ice cream: Have the melted chocolate at your side and start churning the ice cream per the manufacturer's instructions. In the last few minutes, add the chopped cherries and almonds (if using). Slowly pipe in the melted chocolate. Transfer to a freezer-safe bowl and freeze until firm (2-3 hours).
Results
The cherry flavor wasn't as strong as expected (probably because I used canned cherries). It's not overly sweet and you can taste the cream flavor of the mascarpone.
Discussion
The pistachio gelato still reigns as the best gelato/frozen dessert I've made to date. The custard base is a great starting point for other recipes because I know I like the texture (smooth and rich but doesn't feel fatty or leave a layer of fat over your teeth). This time around, I reduced the cream a bit to compensate for the mascarpone. Next time, I would add one more egg yolk and only use 1/4 cup mascarpone. An additional egg yolk might add to the richness/thickness of the gelato to compensate for some of the missing cream. Less mascarpone would not only reduce the total fat, but it would improve the flavor (at least for me as I don't love the flavor of cream). If you love the flavor of cream, you'll probably like it it as is. I don't know that roasting the cherries added anything (again, probably because I used canned). I think I would put the whole 15 oz. in the blender and not leave any chunks. I'd just have the flecks of chocolate and almonds for crunch (if I was in the mood for crunch).
Verdict on mascarpone? I'm still not sold. It still doesn't seem worth the price or effort (not to mention calories). Do you have any amazing mascarpone recipes? I'd love to try them!
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