Blueberries with Mascarpone Cheese and Carmelized Brown Sugar

Because it's so freakin' hot in Baltimore and probably will be for the next six weeks, I am interested in anything that will let me avoid turning the oven on. Yes, we've finally given in and turned the air conditioner on but I still find myself reluctant to do anything that will introduce heat to the house.

This doesn't exactly meet my no-oven criteria because you need to have the broiler on for a couple of minutes, but having the broiler on for a couple of minutes beats having the oven on for the hour plus that preheating the oven and cooking something like a crisp or a pie requires.

With the quick run under the broiler, the blueberries don't end up cooked, just warmed and a little runny, but the mascarpone and the brown sugar melt into a carmel-y sauce over the blueberries,  plus some of the brown sugar creates a crisp crust on top of the gratin like a creme brulee.

I made this in an eleven inch gratin dish because that's the size I have but it would be better in individual gratin plates because then each person would have more of the crispy sugar, plus the sugar topping bits tend to get submerged and melted when you're dishing out the berries. This would also be good with a mixture of berries, or berries and peaches.

Blueberries with Mascarpone Cheese and Carmelized Brown Sugar

1 pint blueberries

juice from 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or more, or less to taste)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

5 ounces (or so) of mascarpone cheese

3 tablespoons of brown sugar (I used muscovado)

1. Toss berries with lime juice, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Cover berries with a layer of mascarpone, then sift brown sugar (or push it through a sieve) over the mascarpone.

2. Run gratin under pre-heated broiler until sugar melts and gratin contents are bubbling. This was about two minutes under my broiler. Watch it closely while it's under the broiler because you don't want it to burn.

3. Wait a few minutes for the bubbling to subside and then serve.

4 servings

Comments

[Ellen]

Wow, that sounds fabulous. You can tell I'm a culinary ignoramus, though, as I have no idea what mascarpone cheese is. Is it a soft cheese, like ricotta? Can I find it in my Safeway?

Hug the fuzzy ones for me.

[angela]

I am going to have to stop reading your blog if you keep posting pictures like that. Don't you know it is bathing suit time, girl!

[aria]

looks awesome. i love deserts using mascarpone other than tiramisu :)

[Will]

Looks good -- sounds good.

Note that one of your references to "broiler" is mis-typed to say "boiler." I'm a big believer that if a friend has a booger on their face -- you should tell them -- instead of being "polite."

Anyway -- How's everything going Julie?

[Julie]

Ellen, here's some info about mascarpone. I haven't looked for it at Safeway but I bet they have it. And I'm blowing kisses to the fuzzy ones. It's too hot to hug them.

Angela, I think mascarpone and bathing suit season may be incompatible. Also mascarpone and cardio-vascular health.

aria, this is the first dessert I've ever had, other than tiramisu, that was made with mascarpone. It feels very decadent in this dessert.

Will, thanks. The booger is gone. (Don't you hate it when that happens?)

[Mrs. S]

I'm sorry, I just drooled all over your web-page. I have to admit I've never even heard of mascarpone cheese before, but I will now make it my goal of the week to go find some... and some in-season blueberries that don't require the sale of one of my kidneys.

[steven]

Wow, and the neighbor's blueberries are just about ready too. I think I'll spare myself the extra heat in the house and do this with the blowtorch I finish off creme brulee with.

[From Our Kitchen]

Mmmm, sounds delicious! I can't turn the oven on either (it was 105 today!), even though I dream of making all kinds of pies and cakes and other baked goods. But this could satisfy my need for baking fruity, summer desserts.

[the bee]

I am loving this !!! I will make it for Patte, Dan and Chloe this week when they come from even hotter Kuwait.We have had a lot of salad dinners because the heat is too much. Mom is working on jotting down her blueberry crumble and says you can do it w/ oats as well. Hooray !!! Does anyone know how to make strawberry pie ?

[Rebecca]

I'm assuming you must have let the mascarpone soften up a bit, because the last time I used it, it was almost as stiff as cream cheese and it would have been difficult to "cover blueberries" with it. Although about 5 minutes in my un-air conditioned house would do it!

I do have individual gratin dishes and I agree, this would be a really nice dessert to put in them. If/when my kitchen ever gets done...

[sher]

I love mascarpone cheese! It's heaven-and the other ingredients in this recipe just increase the heavenlyness. And anything that cooks quickly is just fine with me. We had temperatures around 105 today. Ugh!

[Martha]

Oh so lovely! When I brulee, I usually use a full size blowtorch, which looks cool, and keeps the kitchen even cooler.

[rachel]

Yum! I love blueberry season. I broke down and made a buckle, and we don't have air conditioning, and my house is boiling!

[Michelle]

OMG...I think I just drooled all over my computer. This looks absolutely divine!

[jenjen]

I love mascarpone cheese. Its absolutely divine especially with fruit. This looks great.

BTW, my dog's name is Jack too. He's a Kelpie X Great Dane. Your doggies are so adorable.

[gabriella]

that looks amazing!!!! I am bookmarking this recipe. I am really loving this idea of carmelizing on top of the marscapone

[Stefanie Noble]

Oh my... This is a keeper.

[Jackie]

...Wow. That is the most amazing looking dessert I have seen in ages. *bookmarks to try this weekend*