Mascarpone Caramel Cream with Berries and White Chocolate-Raspberry Brittle
This caramel cream is not a rich custard, but a mixture of caramel, mascarpone cheese, and cream that is chilled, then dolloped onto plates and served with berries and an elegant “brittle” of raspberry-flavored white chocolate. Remember this brittle when it comes time to make holiday gifts!
Ingredients
- Mascarpone Caramel Cream
- Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/2 plus 3/4 cup
- Mascarpone Cheese - 8 oz, at room temperature
- Raspberry Sauce
- Raspberries - 2 cups, fresh
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons, or to taste
- Lemon Juice - 1/4 teaspoon, fresh
- Pinch of Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Blackberry Sauce
- Blackberries - 2 cups, fresh
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons, or to taste
- Lemon Juice - 1/4 teaspoon, fresh
- Pinch of Salt and freshly ground pepper
- White Chocolate-Raspberry Brittle
- White Chocolate - 7 oz, chopped
- Raspberry sauce - 2 tablespoons (above)
- Garnish
- Raspberries - 2 cups, fresh
- Blackberries - 2 cups, fresh
Instructions
To make the cream: In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over low heat and stir to melt the sugar until the mixture starts to boil. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil until the sugar is golden; occasionally brush the inside of the pan with a damp pastry brush to clear away any crystals. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the 1/2 cup heavy cream: be careful, as the mixture will bubble and spatter. Stir until smooth; chill for 30 minutes.
Place the mascarpone in a medium bowl and fold the caramel cream into it. Beat the remaining heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into the mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
To make the sauces: Puree the raspberries in a blender or processor. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Adjust the amount of sugar if necessary; cover and refrigerate until needed. Prepare the blackberry sauce in the same way.
To make the brittle: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate until smooth, then pour it out onto the prepared pan. Using an icing spatula or rubber spatula, spread the chocolate into a rectangle about 10 by 14 inches. Place two tablespoons of the raspberry sauce in a squeeze bottle and drizzle over the chocolate. With a skewer or toothpick, swirl the sauce into the chocolate. Let the chocolate harden. Using a thin metal spatula or palette knife, loosen the brittle from the paper and break into 16 pieces.
To serve: Place a large dollop of the cream in the center of each dessert plate. Arrange some berries around the cream and lace the plates with drizzles of the two sauces. Stand two pieces of brittle in each serving of cream.
