Mascarpone Pickle Bites Recipes

BLACK BOTTOM BRANDY BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Bring pie crusts to room temperature., Stir together mascarpone cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Add brandy, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and vanilla; stir until well blended. Fold in 1/4 cup chocolate chips; cover and refrigerate., Combine pumpkin pie spice, remaining sugar and remaining ginger until well blended. On a lightly floured surface, unroll crusts; sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture. Lightly roll to help sugar mixture adhere. Cut into 24 circles with a 2-1/2-in. biscuit or round cookie cutter; discard scraps. Lightly press circles, sugar side up, into 24 mini muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Pierce once with a fork., Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes; remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of chocolate chips into each cup; spread to cover bottom. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack., When cups are completely cool, refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. Spoon brandy mixture into cups, or into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe mixture into cups. Sprinkle with remaining chips and, if desired, additional pie spice. Refrigerate, covered, until serving.

MASCARPONE AND GRAPE PUFF PASTRY BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Unfold puff pastry and cut into 3 equal pieces along the fold. Roll each sheet out slightly. Using a 2 1/2-inch cutter, cut 4 rounds out of each strip, giving you 12 rounds total. Using a 1 1/2-inch cutter, press into each round, making a solid indentation without cutting completely through the pastry.
• Place rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and top with a baking rack. This will keep the rounds uniform and even as they puff up during baking. Bake until rounds are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Using the tip of a spoon, carefully remove the inner circle of the puff pastry creating a nest. Fill each nest with 1 teaspoon of the bacon bits and top with 2 teaspoons of the mascarpone. Garnish with grape halves and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve on individual plates or a serving platter.