RASPBERRIES & MASCARPONE, DRESSED IN LACE

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

After experimenting with the lace cookie recipes used for the sherbet dessert (below), I tried a few other recipes and came up with my own. This one I like because the cookies are pliable when they're warm, so you can form them into different shapes. For this dessert, I made a filling with mascarpone cheese and raspberries, and shaped the cookies into little cups.

They are more caramel-y in texture and flavor than either of the other two recipes, probably because they're mostly butter and sugar. The nuts add a nice layer of flavor too. These cookie cups could easily hold ice cream or other custard-based desserts; they make a lovely presentation and taste good too. I think of this dessert kind of like a grown-up ice cream cone.

The inspiration comes from Paula Lambert's The Cheese Lover's Cookbook & Guide. This recipe is a simpler variation of her Lace Cookies with Orange-Mascarpone Filling and Raspberries. Here's my version:

Nutty Lace Cookies

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 T. flour

1 t. salt

1 stick butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

1 egg, beaten

Mix the pecans and sugars in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well-mixed. Refrigerate the dough for an hour. Drop spoonfuls onto a greased, foil-lined cookie sheet. They will spread like crazy, so make sure they are very far apart (I only get about 5 or 6 on a cookie sheet). Bake at 325 degrees for about 7 minutes per batch. When the cookies are done, let them cool until the foil is cool enough to handle (I have to use oven mitts). Tear the foil between cookies, and form each one into a cup shape. You can set them in ramekins or muffin tins to help them hold their shapes. When completely cool, peel off foil.

Raspberry-Mascarpone Cream

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 T. framboise or other raspberry liqueur

1/2 cup raspberries, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup sugar, divided

Toss the raspberries with 1/8 cup of sugar; set aside. In a mixer, beat the whipping cream and mascarpone cheese until soft peaks form. Add the liqueur, 1/8 cup of sugar, and 1/2 cup raspberries.

To assemble: In shallow dishes, place cookie cups. Top with a scoopful of the mascarpone mixture and a handful of raspberries.

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IN THE PINK

Monday, October 17, 2005

Grandmothers are delicious treats. My dad's mother has always been a huge part of my life--in grade school, whenever I had to write an essay about who I most admired, she took top honors. A few weeks ago, I was at her house to celebrate birthdays for two of my aunts, and the dessert you see above is what Aunt Prissy served in Grandmother's beautiful crystal, which she has collected over a lifetime.

Although I am a little late in joining, I recently read about a food blogging event called "In the Pink." Emily at La Dolce Vita invited food bloggers to create pink food and write about it, in honor of breast cancer awareness. When I read Emily's story and the inspiration for the event, I knew I wanted to join. Knowing my paternal grandmother so well all these years has always had a tiny edge of bitterness to it: I didn't get to know my mom's mother, because she lost her life to breast cancer when I was only two years old.

I am grateful for the chance to have such a sweet grandmother in my life, and saddened at the same time to have lost another so early. My hope is that the spread of breast cancer awareness can prevent other women from losing their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters to such an ugly disease.

Here's a pink dessert with delicate lace cookies, dedicated to both of my grandmothers, whose lives I cherish. Thanks to Aunt Prissy for making such a lovely dessert, which I think accurately represents the delicate sweetness of grandmothers everywhere.

Amaretto Pink Sherbet with Lace Cookies

Raspberry Sherbet, 1 generous scoop per serving

Amaretto, about 1 tablespoon per scoop (more or less to taste)

Lace cookies, 1 per scoop

Aunt Em's Lace Cookies

Aunt Prissy used Paula Deen's recipe for the cookies in the picture but says she likes Aunt Em's recipe better, so I'm giving it to you instead. Aunt Prissy also recommends parchment paper instead of foil.

1 cup quick oats

1 cup sugar

3 T. flour

1/4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 stick butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

1 egg, beaten

Mix the oats, sugar, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla; stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for a few hours. Drop spoonfuls 3 inches apart onto a foil- or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Watch carefully until they are light brown on edges. Cool slightly and peel off of foil. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

To assemble the dessert: scoop sherbet into long-stemmed glasses. Drizzle the amaretto on top. Break cookies in half, and stick one half into each side of the glass. Pretty and easy to do for a lot of people.

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