No-Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake Cups
Paired with Frederich Late Harvest Gewurztraminer
Everyone who knows me knows I have an unrelenting sweet tooth. So our Frederich Late Harvest Gewurztraminer is one of my go-to’s when I want a little something extra after dinner. It also makes a delicious accompaniment to fruit- and cheese-based desserts. With that in mind, I chose to pair it with no-bake mascarpone cheesecake cups.
When it comes to cheesecake, I love starting with a base that I can experiment with different mix-ins, toppings, and sauces. I created three different cheesecake combinations all with a fall spin: a berry jam topping, pumpkin with a ginger spice cookie crust, and cinnamon apple with a fleur de sel caramel drizzle.
A good rule of thumb for pairing wines with sweeter foods and desserts is to choose a wine that’s sweeter than the food. Since our Late Harvest Gewurztraminer is wonderfully balanced without being too sweet, I modified the cheesecake cup recipe to reduce the sugar by about half.
Here is the recipe I followed – feel free to get creative and play around with different cookie bases, flavors, and toppings.
Cheers,
Diana Bender, Estate Host
Mascarpone Cheesecake Cups
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.5 cups crushed graham crackers or cookies of your choice
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
Toppings
- Choose from berry jam, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, nuts, chopped fruit, etc.
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, crush the graham crackers or cookies until they resemble a crumbly texture.
- In a glass, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter until soft, then add the crushed cookies and mix until combined.
- In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone and ¼ cup of the sugar using electric beaters until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the heavy cream, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Using an electric beater, beat the mixture until it forms soft peaks.
- Combine about two-thirds of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Reserve the remaining whipped cream to use as a topping.
- Add a few spoonfuls of the crushed cookie mixture into each small dish of your choice (small Mason jars or glass ramekins work great). Pat down lightly.
- Add the mascarpone mixture on top of the cookie crust, followed by a spoonful of whipped cream.
- Add desired toppings, and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from From Scratch Fast.