Mascarpone Budini
Ingredients
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 8 oz. Il Villagio Mascarpone Cheese
- 3 Tbsp. milk
- 1 Tsp. vanilla
- 3 Tbsp. Sambuca or other anise liqueur
- Chocolate covered coffee beans
At a glance
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8
Instructions
- In medium bowl with electric mixer, beat cream with sugar just until thickened and soft peaks are beginning to form – do not overbeat.
- In separate medium bowl with same beaters, beat mascarpone with milk, vanilla just until smooth.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently stir whipped cream into mascarpone mixture just until blended.
- Gently stir in Sambuca and espresso powder. Turn into 8 espresso cups and garnish with coffee beans. Serve immediately or chill up to 6 hours.
- Variations: Omit Sambuca, espresso powder and coffee bean and substitute with one of the following. Love to offer a variety? Want to serve 2 flavor variations?! At the end of step 3, divide the mixture in half, and add half of the liquor and flavorings to each.
- Limoncello: Add ¼ cup Limoncello liqueur, 4 Tsp. fresh lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon peel. Garnish with lemon twists.
- Caramellate: Add 3 Tbsp. dark rum. Fill cups half full; swirl 1 Tsp. caramel sauce into each, then top with remaining mixture. Garnish with a drizzle of additional caramel sauce and chocolate shavings.
Notes
Meyer lemon is the ideal choice for the Limoncello Budino – the juice and peel are highly aromatic and the flavor more complex than regular lemons. Peak season is from November to March.
For the most sophisticated tasting Caramellate Budino, use the highest quality jarred caramel sauce or dulce de leche sauce that you can find. Be sure it is at room temperature so that it can easily be swirled into the mascarpone mixture.
Small glasses, such as sherry glasses, can also be used for a pretty presentation.
Cream should look fluffy and lighter than ice cream.
To add visual appeal, lightly dust the top of the budini with Valhrona cocoa powder.
