Category: mascarpone

diplomatico

Lavazza are sponsoring Wimbledon this year and have released a rather snazzy themed espresso machine. They sent one along for me to try out, and it’s one of the neatest pod-style machines I’ve used. I’ve been necking espresso at a GP-bothering rate but not before I came up with some coffee recipes to celebrate. Here’s a fudgy-textured and sweet dessert recipe to get us started: the diplomatico, the distant relative of the tiramisu lacking any kind of PR. I’ve blended elements of both desserts to create a sort of diplomisu, if you will. This can be made a day or so in advance and for best results leave it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so before eating; the textures soften and taking the chill off enhances the silky, creamy texture. If you like boozy coffee-alcohol puds, this is definitely one to try.

Sponge finger tip: I think this works best with really sodden sponge biscuits. You can obviously only submerge them for a few seconds before they turn to mush in your hands. To avoid this, give them a short dip until starting to soften and place them in the dish. Then gently drizzle with more marinating liquor to increase their drunkenness. Do this slowly to ensure the fingers have time to absorb the liquid.

Diplomatico:

500ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks

250g mascarpone cheese

120g dark chocolate, melted

50g icing sugar

150ml espresso, cooled

5 tablespoons marsala

About 30 sponge fingers

Grated chocolate, to serve

Whip the cream to soft peaks, and reserve about a third of it.

Stir the icing sugar and mascarpone together, then fold into 2/3 of the softly whipped cream. Gradually fold in the melted chocolate. Check for sweetness at this point as this will be where most of the sweet taste from the pudding will come from, and add more icing sugar as necessary.

Stir the coffee, marsala and a tablespoon of icing sugar together. Dip the sponge fingers in the mix until soggy, and then make a layer of them in a rectangular cake tin (I use a silicone one to get the dessert out easier later).

Add a layer of chocolate cream, then follow with more boozy biscuits. Keep layering, ending with sponge fingers. Add the remaining cream on top of this and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

Before serving garnish with grated chocolate, then cut into thick slices.

To be in with a chance to win one the fantastic Lavazza Wimbledon prizes look out for promotional cups on take away Lavazza coffees, or enter online at http://promotion.wimbledon.lavazza.com/

Prizes include six pairs of tickets to Wimbledon, 90 Lavazza A Modo Mio Favola Plus Wimbledon Limited Edition coffee machines and 500 sets of four exclusive espresso cups created especially for the tournament.

cherries chicken mascarpone mushroom pie

30 minute chicken pie, smashed carrots and mascarpone cherries

Post author By Gary @ BigSpud
Post date February 4, 2011
5 Comments on 30 minute chicken pie, smashed carrots and mascarpone cherries

At the risk of sounding like a raging sycophant, I haven’t yet come across a Jamie 30 Minute Meal that isn’t a) extremely doable in the time, and b) darn tasty to boot. But they just are!

This chicken pie is no exception. A rich and tasty pie that ticks all the “chicken pie please” boxes. There’s supposed to be peas & lettuce simmered in stock with this too, but the carrots were enough for me.

Dessert was a rapid and shameless quick switcheroo from a different 30 minute meal, but just what I fancied. Thick, creamy and sweet too.

30 minute chicken pie, smashed carrots and mascarpone cherries (serves 2):

For the pie:

2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1 cm pieces

1 red onion, peeled

7 – 8 chestnut mushrooms

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon English mustard

1 tablespoon creme fraiche

200ml chicken stock

A few sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

½ nutmeg

1 sheet of pre-rolled puff pastry

1 egg

For the smash:

4 – 5 carrots

Handful of parsley, roughly chopped

For the mascarpone cherries:

½ tin cherries

150g tub mascarpone

A little milk

1 heaped teaspoon icing sugar

Some shortbread biscuits

Get the oven on 200°C, the kettle full and boiling, a big frying pan on a low heat, a large lidded saucepan on a low heat and chuck the thick slicer disc in the food processor.

Add a little oil and butter to the frying pan, add the chicken and fry for a couple of minutes. Throw the mushrooms and onion into the food processor, slice and add to the pan. Stir in the flour, work it around the pan then add the mustard, creme fraiche, stock, thyme and nutmeg. Leave to simmer.

Slice the carrots in the food processor and add to the saucepan. Cover with water from the kettle and bring up the heat – simmer for 15 minutes until tender.

Check the chicken mix for seasoning, then tip into a baking dish. Cover with a sheet of puff pastry and slice liberally with a knife, then brush over the beaten egg. Pop in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden and puffed up.

For the dessert, crumble some biscuits in the bottom of a serving bowl. Mix the mascarpone with some milk to slacken to a creamy paste, then stir in the sugar. Plop this on top of the biscuit and dot with cherries, tipping on a little of the tin juice with it. Put to one side until dinner’s done.

Back at the carrots, if they’re tender drain, season, add a splash of oil and seasoning, then stir through the parsley. Get the pie out of the oven and start eating!

Tags jamie oliver

cake chocolate coffee cream food mascarpone

diplomatico

A fudgy-textured and sweet treat: the diplomatico, the twin brother of the tiramisu only with worse PR. I’ve gone for a cross-breed here blending elements of both desserts. A diplomisu, if you will. This can be made a day or so in advance (always handy) and for best results leave it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so before eating; the textures soften and taking the chill off enhances the silky, creamy texture. If you like boozy coffee-alcohol puds, this is one for you.

Diplomatico:

500ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks

250g mascarpone cheese

120g dark chocolate, melted

50g icing sugar

150ml strong coffee, cooled

5 tablespoons marsala

About 30 sponge fingers

Grated chocolate, to serve

Whip the cream to soft peaks, and reserve about a third of it.

Stir the icing sugar and mascarpone together, then fold into 2/3 of the softly whipped cream. Gradually fold in the melted chocolate. Check for sweetness at this point as this will be where most of the sweet taste from the pudding will come from, and add more icing sugar as necessary.

Stir the coffee, marsala and a tablespoon of icing sugar together. Dip the sponge fingers in the mix until soggy, and then make a layer of them in a rectangular cake tin (I use a silicone one to get the dessert out easier later).

Add a layer of chocolate cream, then follow with more boozy biscuits. Keep layering, ending with sponge fingers. Add the remaining cream on top of this and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.

Before serving garnish with grated chocolate, then cut into thick slices.

coffee cream food mascarpone

tiramisu

Yet another blog topped with an awful photo. I should do a course or something.

Which is a real shame, because I consider tiramisu one of my absolute star pieces. I’ve made dozens of them, and tweak them every time. It’s creamy, boozy, sweet, light, indulgent, chocolatey… a real treat. I’ve also done one with Bailey’s mixed into the cream, which makes it a beautiful toffee colour and lends a luxurious note.

There is an angle I’m missing which I’ve yet to get, and it’s the crisp element. Perhaps some crumbled meringue like an Eton mess, or a sugary grit topping, or even something as basic as whizzed-up chocolate / coffee biscuits? I need to try these out.

So this is my standard recipe from which I start. One word of warning: it uses at least 4 bowls, so make sure there’s a few to hand.

Tiramisu:

350ml strong coffee or espresso

5 tablespoons Marsala

Vanilla pod, seeds removed (or 1 teaspoon extract)

3 eggs, separated

50g caster sugar

250g mascarpone

250ml double cream, lightly whipped

1 packet savoiardi or sponge fingers

Chocolate for decoration

Blend the coffee and Marsala and allow to cool.

Mix the vanilla with the egg yolks and half the sugar, then warm over a pan of simmering water until foamy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Mix together the mascarpone and whipped cream and fold in the egg yolks.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff and fold into the cream mixture.

Dunk the sponge fingers into the coffee, allowing them to abosrb, then layer into a dish. Add a layer of cream mix, fingers and repeat as desired.

Finish with a layer of cream and top with grated dark chocolate (or if you’re in a rush, a crumbled Flake). Leave in the fridge for two hours, or overnight if you can.