Raspberry and Mascarpone Tarts
If you are like many people (myself included), you may not be totally familiar with what mascarpone is. I've heard of it, but never realized what a pleasure it is to work with. Mascarpone is basically a soft Italian cream cheese. Soft and creamy, with a fresh taste, and a texture similar to soft butter or crème fraîche. It pairs well with sugar (what a shock). So mixing mascarpone with xxx confectioners sugar yields great results from a flavor standpoint.
So back to the fillo cups... always happy to stretch my comfort zone, I thought it would be fun to try to make fillo pastry cups filled with mascarpone filling and raspberries on top . It couldn't have been easier. Raspberries were in season, fresh mint for garnish and a wee bit of sugar. Such a beautiful, simple, luscious easy dessert. Perfect to make ahead and fill just before eating so they stay fresh and crispy. Easy to take to a BBQ or pool party. Or to mom's for Mother's Day. Please try these with blueberries or strawberries if you have them on hand. I'm sure any fruit would work as well as with raspberries.
Other good news about this easy dessert is that it is diabetes friendly, with it's low sugar content. It's probably lowish in carbs too. But I did not do the homework on that yet.
Make them with with homemade fillo cups or use the Fillo Factory's pre-made fillo cups in either organic or regular.
Ingredients
- mascarpone - 2 cups (aprox 1 lb)
- confectioners sugar - 1/4 cup
- fresh lemon juice - 1 tsp
- lemon zest - 1/2 tsp fresh grated
- vanilla extract - 3/4 tsp
Instructions
- If you use pre-made cups heat your oven to 400f and bake the little fillo shells on a tray until they are golden brown. Watch carefully it only takes a few (3-5) minutes at this temperature. Set them aside to cool before step 2.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ingredients until well blended. Carefully spoon or use a piping bag to fill each cup. Refrigerate for an hour. Garnish with a raspberry or blueberries and mint leaf for color. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated. Tip: fill only what cups you will need. The rest will keep in the fridge for a week.
If you are making cups, buy the #7 or the Country style fillo dough if you can get it. Work with the dough at room temperature as per the directions on the package tell you. See our recipe for home made fillo cups here.
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I want to make these for a shower but will need to make them a few hours ahead of time. Will the cups get soggy? If they star in the refrigerator will that help them not get soft?
Hi Sharron, these are not good to make ahead and let sit too long. They would probably get a bit soft on the bottom. But they are so easy to fill just before you serve using a plastic throw away piping bag. 🙂