Il Villaggio cheese isn’t just for savory meals. The creamy richness of many of our cheeses make them perfect for creating mouthwatering holiday desserts. From velvety cheesecake to luxurious frostings, our cheeses make a wonderful base for sweet flavors.
Read on for some of our favorite cheese-inspiredrecipes.
Mascarpone Cheesecake
The sheer decadence of cheesecake makes it the perfect holiday treat. This recipe uses Il Villaggio Mascarpone cheese to enhance the flavors of a traditional cream cheese filling. The end result is a velvety dessert the whole family will love.
Top your cheesecake with whatever you’d like – cherries, strawberries, cookie crumbles or caramel – and enjoy!
Ingredients:
● 1 prepared graham cracker pie crust
● 16 oz cream cheese, softened
● 12 oz Il Villaggio Mascarpone cheese at room temperature (about 1 cup)
● 3/4 cup sugar
● 3 large eggs
● 1 teaspoon vanilla
● 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
● 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
1. Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined.
4. Pour into crust and bake until cake is set, about 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
Cannoli Cream
A good cannoli cream can be used in its traditional form, as filling for cannoli shells, but it can also be used as a dip or as filling for cupcakes or cake! Our Ricotta Salata gives the cream an enviable consistency that your guests will adore – plus it only takes 20 minutes to whip up!
Ingredients:
● 2 cups Il Villaggio Ricotta Salata cheese
● 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
● 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
● 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips Preparation:
1. Beat ricotta cheese and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth
2. Add sugar and vanilla
3. Continue to stir mixture until sugar is completely incorporated.
4. Fold chocolate chips through the cheese mixture.
5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled
Mascarpone Frosting
Like the cannoli cream, a mascarpone frosting is versatile and delicious. It’s similar to a cream cheese frosting, and can be used on many of the same desserts – carrot cake, red velvet cake, chocolate cake, and so on!
Ingredients:
● 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
● 1 1⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar
● 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
● 4 oz. cold Il Villaggio Mascarpone
Preparation:
1. Beat the butter and confectioners sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy
2. Stir in the lemon zest and mascarpone until blended.
