Mascarpone Creams
Submitted by bettina on March 29, 2003 at 10:29 am

DESCRIPTION
Mascarpone Creams
SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Cookies Brownies Bars

INSTRUCTIONS
I have so far resisted the purchase of this book, keep checking it out from the library!

"The super-rich Italiam cream cheese called mascarpone makes these delicate, chocolate-spread cookies elegant and festive. Sprinkle the cutout cookie tops with white nonpareils for extra flair".

"1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, or ground nutmeg, optional
1/4 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, or dairy sour cream
1 egg
2 1/2 cups a/p flour
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing, optional
White nonpareils, optional
1 recipe Bittersweet Chocolate Spread"

Prep: 50 minutes
Chill: 1 to 2 hours
Bake: 5 to 7 minutes

1. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets, set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, nutmeg(if desired), baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the mascarpone cheese or sour cream and the egg. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

3. Divide dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill 1 to 2 hours.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a diamond-shaped cutter about 3 inches in length, cut out dough. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Using an hors d'oeuvre cutter, cut out and remove a smaller diamond shape from the centers of half of the cookies. Place whole cookies on one cookie sheet and cut out cookies on another cookie sheet because they may bake at different rates.

5. Bake in a 375F oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool. If desired, glaze the cookies with cutouts with Powdered Sugar Icing and sprinkle with nonpareils; let dry.

6. To serve, spread the bottoms of the whole cookies with about 1/2 tsp of the Bittersweet Chocolate Spread; place a cookie with a cutout, bottom side down, on chocolate spread. Makes about 64 (3-inch) cookies.

Powdered Sugar Icing:

In a small mixing bowl stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and enough milk(2 to 4 tsp) to make of spreading consistency.

Bittersweet Chocolate Spread:

In a heavy small saucepan melt 6 ounces cut up bittersweet chocolate and 2 TBS butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.

Nutrition facts per cookie:

62 cal., 3 g total fat (2 g sat, fat), 9 mg chol., 32 mg sodium, 8 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 1 g pro.