maple mascarpone dip

maple + mascarpone

Maple & Mascarpone – this flavor combination evoked many different ideas, ranging from super simple to much more complex. However when it came down to truly wanting to understand the flavors and how much one impacted the other, I opted to keep it on the simpler side.

This creamy and slightly sweet dip is an entertainer’s dream – not only does this come together in less than 10 minutes, but it also has multiple applications and you can make it 2-3 days ahead of when you plan to use it.

My original intention for this was for it to be a simple dip for a party – serving with strawberries, grapes, apple slices and graham crackers. I’m a sucker for the old-school whipped topping/marshmallow fluff fruit dip that was at EVERY PARTY in the 90’s and early 2000’s. It’s definitely still around today but this one should also earn it’s place at the appetizer table.

Is it a perfectly simple dip for a party? Absolutely. It ALSO could be:

• the frosting for a cake or cupcakes
• a cannoli filling (non-traditional) – try a fall cannoli with a caramel drizzle and a touch of cinnamon!
• filling for crepes or stuffed french toast
• pipe into phyllo shells and top with apple pie filling
• the list goes on – use your imagination!

this recipe

Mascarpone cheese is quickly becoming an ingredient that I’m finding in flavor combos all over the place – it’s almost to the point of becoming a constant staple in my refrigerator because I’m now using it in so many different ways. Check out the my explanation about mascarpone compares to ricotta in my strawberry fit crostinis post below. This is also another great party recipe that continues to be requested for my own parties!

Pro tip – buy the larger size container of mascarpone cheese and you’ve got plenty to make both of these recipes for a lovely brunch!

strawberry fig crostinis

Now let’s talk about maple syrup – this is another ingredient that I’m finding pairs with SO many other ingredients. Sweet, savory, fruit, vegetable, grain, meat, whatever – maple syrup is incredible in it’s versatility. Pretty soon maple syrup is going to end up with it’s own page full of recipes 🙂

The standard maple syrup that is commercially available is Grade A but did you know it comes in four different classes based on the flavor and color profile?

• Golden – very light in color and flavor
• Amber – the classic go-to color and flavor combination that we all think of for maple syrup, quintessential for pancakes
• Dark – deep bronze with a slightly caramelized flavor, this is a great option for glazes if you’re able to find it
• Very Dark – nearly black with an almost molasses like flavor, this is a good option if you’re baking and want the maple syrup to really stand up against other ingredients

Outside of Grade A, there are a few specialized styles such as barrel aged, infused or even small batch (where the maple syrup only comes from maple trees from a specific area to highlight environmental uniqueness).

The classic Amber was exactly what I wanted to make this dip, which is certainly the easiest to find! However I don’t think any other class would have been the right fit with this mascarpone for this application. For reference, I do think mascarpone is fatty enough and rich enough to handle maple syrup from a darker class and would be a great combination in another recipe (challenge accepted!). For the lightly sweet spread I wanted here, I don’t believe it would have balanced the same.

In terms of putting this dish together, it truly couldn’t be simpler. Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer but it is a little more work) and let it go to town on medium high for about 5 minutes. The small amount of heavy cream that I used here isn’t going to make this as light as whipped cream but whipping it all together for a few minutes will help the cream aerate slightly and bring air to the whole spread.

maple + mascarpone

Now it’s your turn! What would you make with this flavor combination? Tell me in the comments!

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