Mascarpone Brownies Giada Recipes

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper in a strip to line the bottom and 2 sides of the dish. Butter the paper with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter and set aside.
• Place the unsweetened chocolate and 8 tablespoons butter in a medium heat-proof bowl that fits comfortably over a saucepan filled with 1 inch water. Place the double-boiler over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until the chocolate and butter are just barely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to stir for 1 minute to cool slightly. The mixture should be warm to the touch, not hot.
• Using a hand-held mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla and salt into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk all at once and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Fold in the flour and semisweet chocolate chips with a silicone spatula until just barely combined; a few streaks are fine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack until just set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into 16 small pieces.

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch square pyrex pan.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; set aside. In a small glass bowl, melt the butter in a microwave, just until melted- don't let it cook and bubble (if no microwave, melt quickly on the stove instead). Pour the butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the butter is well incorporated. Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder.
• With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold in the flour and salt.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the brownies cool 10 to 15 minutes while you make the ganache.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and butter to just below boiling point, over medium heat. Pour this hot mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour the ganache over the brownies while still warm, and spread to cover evenly.
• Let the ganache firm-up before cutting. It's best to refrigerate them until quite firm. Once the ganache is firm and the brownies have been cut, they do not need to be kept in the refrigerator.

MASCARPONE CHOCOLATE TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.
• Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.
• Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.
• *Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

MASCARPONE CANNOLI CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pulse the biscotti to fine crumbs in a food processor. Drizzle in the butter, add the salt and pulse until the mixture has the texture of wet sand. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 8 minutes, until the crust smells toasted and is beginning to brown. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the salt, vanilla and lemon zest; beat on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center of the cake still moves just slightly.
• Allow the cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the collar.
• Top each slice of cheesecake with a spoonful of cherries, if using.

CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F; have ready a buttered 8-inch square glass cake pan.
• First, prepare the brownies.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
• Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
• With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs (30 minutes on the counter brings them to room temperature) and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
• Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--this is important since, if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.
• Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (45 minutes did it for me).
• Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 10-15 minutes, while you now make the ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; in a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to just below the boiling point, over medium heat.
• Pour this hot cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth; ganache is now ready to use and can be spread over the brownies.
• Should you wish to wait a bit, make sure the ganache is warm when you spread over the brownies, as it does firm up which makes spreading hard to do.
• Don't cut into the brownies until ganache has firmed up; I find it best to put the brownies into the fridge to speed this along; once the ganache is firm the brownies do not need to be kept in the fridge, though.

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY MASCARPONE BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Spray the pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Lay a 6-by-18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Blend the biscotti, butter, cocoa powder and brown sugar in a food processor until the mixture forms moist crumbs. Firmly press the crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely, about 25 minutes.
• Spread the jam in an even layer over the crust using a spatula.
• For the filling: Place the chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Beat the cheese, sour cream, eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth, using a whisk, in a medium bowl. Pour the batter over the cooled crust. Randomly spoon the melted chocolate over the batter. Swirl the chocolate into the batter, using the tip of a knife. Bake until light golden and the center of the filling jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 40 minutes. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and cool for 1 hour. Cover the pan with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight until firm.
• Run a thin spatula around the sedges of the pan to loosen the filling. Cut the bars into 1 1/2-by-2-inch bars using a damp knife. Serve at room temperature.

SKILLET BROWNIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• To a medium bowl add the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla and salt. Using a rubber spatula, stir to combine. Stir in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and stir to combine. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into an 8-inch nonstick, oven proof skillet and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until the edges look dry and the center still looks slightly underdone.
• Remove from the oven and cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F and grease an 8x8 baking pan.
• In a double boiler melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently.
• When chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined, add sugar and stir until mixture is shiny. It will still look a bit grainy.
• Remove from heat and add marscapone, vanilla, and eggs, mixing until smooth.
• Sift flour, salt and cocoa into mixture with a sieve and stir just until combined, making sure to scrape all sides of the bowl. (Mixture will be rather light in texture, instead of dense and heavy like many brownie batters).
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top to ensure even baking.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean.
• Use the flat end of a potato masher to lightly tamp down the surface of the brownies while they are still warm. Do not squish! Merely flatten any parts that might have raised more than others (typically the edges). This will help the ganache coat evenly. Leave in pan and set on wire rack to cool.
• About 5 minutes before your brownies are done, start making your ganache to pour over the top (which you will want to do while your brownies are still warm). In a double boiler heat butter, cream, and chocolate until melted, stirring frequently.
• Once brownies have been tamped flat and your ganache is smooth, immediately pour ganache over brownies. Let cool completely in refrigerator.
• Once chilled, turn the brownies out of the pan onto a cutting board, and slice into desired number or pieces (4 cuts in each direction will yield 25 pieces approximately 1.5"x1.5" in size). Dusting the knife with cocoa powder may help keep it clean if this becomes problematic.