Mascarpone help pls.

[jeral Profile]

What are its uses please? I've never used it, but no doubt have eaten it in tiramisu in the past.

Although some cheeses don't like me, I've just bought some (fingers crossed) for a new online French recipe which I managed to lose and can't find via a search.

Ta very much.
----

Vanilla powder (or poudre in the original French) was an ingredient: What is that pls? Is it pods ground up or something like flavoured cornflour? Maybe it's common in France?

Thanks again.

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

Marscapone can be used in cheesecakes, or whenever cream cheese is listed in a recipe. It is incredibly rich though. I did have some once as part of a pudding, the chef decided to use it instead of a blob of whipped double cream on the side of whatever I had. It is far too rich for that purpose IMO!

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I used to make a good lemon cheesecake with it as a main ingredient - tastes change, so haven't made that in a while. I know some use it as a pasta sauce - which I haven't tried.

Can't help with the vanilla powder either - I have brought back packets of vanilla sugar from france - in fact I still have some lurking in the cupboards - they smell wonderful especially when stored in my rarely used ping oven!

[WWordsworth Profile]

Would vanilla powder be something like custard powder?

[MariaK Profile]

Vanilla powder (or poudre in the original French) was an ingredient: What is that pls? Is it pods ground up or something like flavoured cornflour? Maybe it's common in France?

I've not seen it in the shops - but then I've never looked so did a google & apparently it can be bought. Vanilla pods used to flavour milk get rinsed, dried and go in the vanilla sugar jar & occasionally if they're a bit dry I have ground them in a coffe grinder (make sure you get rid of the coffee smell first.

This site
http://www.lamedecinepasseparlacuisine. ... lisee.html

tells you what todo with used vanilla pods : extract, oil,sugar , powder ...

For the powder
Break up or slice 4 to 6 vanilla pods. Add 10 grams sugar per pod and whiz in short bursts - max 4 seconds - so as not to heat the vanilla. Store in small jar & use for cakes, puddings etc

Hope this helps and you find the recipe. If you want anything else translated just say so, though might be quicker to PM me

[Amyw Profile]

You can use it in a cake filling, although I'd recommend with something tartish, such as crushed raspberries to cut through the richness.

I've made a tomato, mascarpone sauce with pasta before . Wasn't overly taken as I prefer my tomato sauces less creamy but it was ok. I think it used it once with mushrooms,spinach and pasta which was much better

[Alexandria Profile]

Jeral,


1) Poudre de Vanille Bourbon is vanilla powder with bourbon and it is ground from pods and used
primarily in baked goods.

I am sure Joan can tell you alot more ..


2) Mascarpone Uses ..

Can be used in place of the following :

Ricotta
Creme Fraïche
Cream Cheese
Whipped Cream
Cream

Some desserts:

Chocolate Mousse
A dollop on fresh fruits of choice and availability (berries are amazing pair)
Cheesecake
Tiramisú


On a personal note, I do not too much for
Mascarpone in savoury dishes. Prefer as a dollop
with berries .. or in one of the above desserts.

Have a lovely evening.

[Pampy Profile]

1) Poudre de Vanille Bourbon is vanilla powder with bourbon and it is ground from pods and used
primarily in baked goods.

No, it's not - all Madagascan vanilla is called Bourbon Vanilla, it's nothing to do with the alcohol bourbon - read this for more information http://bakingbites.com/2012/06/what-is-bourbon-vanilla/

[Alexandria Profile]

Pampy,


The link does not function from Spain (tried on
3 different computers).

According to various websites:

Vanilla contains at least 35 %
alcohol, from sugar cane, or Ethyl alcohol,
NOT the
Kentucky Bourbon.

Bourbon hails from the era of The Bourbon
Kings of France, henceforth the name.

I am surely not an expert on vanilla.
However, this is what is stated.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Yes, Pampy is right about the Bourbon Vanilla

But going back to the vanilla powder, several good firms sell vanilla powder in the UK, it seems simply to be ground pods

I tend to use Ndali vanilla, and they make the powder, among other vanilla preparations

https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/ndali-organic-fairtrade-vanilla-6-powder-13g-net.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwkoDmBRCcARIsAG3xzl_r9ggO8DdLhx6xtO4x5NYMWxtl5OWnrDB15aWalkGFr6PjFIITdWQaAsz4EALw_wcB

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I should think you could add your vanilla powder to Vodka -- not Bourbon!
To give you an unlimited vanilla extract that you keep topped up.
Mine's got 10 pods in there quite happily. I use it, and add a little more vodka.



Mascarpone.
Make buttercream with it. I've had overly buttery buttercream before in a birthday cake. Made me feel queasy.
A mascarpone one, is very pleasant, easy for piping and for the sandwich layer in between.
The method is here on Dan Lepard's celebration cake: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... pe-wedding

[Joanbunting Profile]

Bourbon is a French name for The island of Reunion- Isle de Bourbon. It dates back to the early 18thC when it was renamed from Isle Bonaparte.

It is still a French territory.

I mentioned earlier in the year that our neighbour spends several weeks there every winter and always brings my back fresh vanilla pods, They are kept moist in a test tube like receptav]cle with a small amount of rum in the bottom.
You can make vanilla sugar using used and washed pods buried in an airtight jar of caster sugar. Vanilla powder is dried and ground pods - usually second or third quality.

Vanilla extract is made from green vanilla pods using alcohol. Vanilla essence is a synthetic product. storms.

I imagine you know alreay it is the seed pod of a kinfd of orchid and can be badly affected by drought,violent

[WWordsworth Profile]

No relative of custard powder then

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Vanilla powder, I assume, must be the dried and powdered seeds, extracted from the "Vainilla" (which means "sheath" or "pod" in this sense). The orchid, which originated in Mexico, but has now been spread around the world , is called vanilla planifolia. It needs to be grown in warm, humid conditions.
The vanilla orchid is more like a vine, and can grow to 30 ft.
Now here´s the tricky part: to produce the pod, the flower needs to be pollinated BY HAND, because the flower only lasts one day.
Vanilla "ESSENCE" can be made with a mixture of vanilla beans and alcohol. However, unscrupulous merchants do market " vanilla essence" using the tonka bean - which is high in cumarin.
The best flavour comes from a dried bean. No doubt about it. Split the bean down its length and extract the seeds with the point of a knife. Use the empty pod to stick in some sugar.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Back on topic.
Mascarpone is classified as a "cheese" - but it´s more like a rich, creamy, cream cheese!
If you want to know something about how to use it - regardless of the valuable suggestions above - I suggest the first thing you do is taste it. Seriously. Take a spoonful just on its own.
On that basis, you´ll be able to say, for example:
It´s thicker than cream
It´s sharper than cream
It´s more liquid than mozzarella or Burrata
etcetera, etcetera.
Then you´ll better be able to decide how you want to use it.

[patpoyntz Profile]

We are very fond of this Nigella recipe for trifle...

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/anglo-italian-trifle

Where the ‘custard’ layer is made with mascarpone and eggs. It’s much easier and quicker than making proper custard.

[Alexandria Profile]

Pat,

Lovely recipe.

Thank you for posting the link.

I am going to prepare this with
strawberries or rasberries as it is
our season ..

Have a lovely weekend.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Vanilla powder, I assume, must be the dried and powdered seeds, extracted from the "Vainilla" (which means "sheath" or "pod" in this sense). The orchid, which originated in Mexico, but has now been spread around the world , is called vanilla planifolia. It needs to be grown in warm, humid conditions.
The vanilla orchid is more like a vine, and can grow to 30 ft.
Now here´s the tricky part: to produce the pod, the flower needs to be pollinated BY HAND, because the flower only lasts one day.
Vanilla "ESSENCE" can be made with a mixture of vanilla beans and alcohol. However, unscrupulous merchants do market " vanilla essence" using the tonka bean - which is high in cumarin.
The best flavour comes from a dried bean. No doubt about it. Split the bean down its length and extract the seeds with the point of a knife. Use the empty pod to stick in some sugar.

Yes, the manufacturers say that their vanilla powder is ground dried whole pods, I presume they use the wonky ones for this!

In the UK tonka beans are quite expensive and trendy, Vanilla Extract is the real McCoy, actual vanilla bean + alcohol, vanilla essence can contain the chemical vanillin from sources other than the vanilla orchid, it is the main flavour of the bean, but lacks subtlety without the other substances in the extract

Tonka beans are prohibited from food use in the USA, and of course adding them to a flavouring unless listed on the label would be completely illegal in the UK and EU.

I see that Langdale's Vanilla Flavouring Essence, which many of us will have been brought up on has been withdrawn and they now only do a natural extract
Sainsbury's vanilla flavouring essence is: INGREDIENTS: Water, Propylene Glycol, Flavouring Substances, Colour: Plain Caramel.
The Langdale's Natural Flavouring contains Ingredients: water, propylene glycol, natural vanilla extract, colour (caramel E15a).
And Ndali Intense Vanilla Extract (the expensive one I use, as recommended by Hugh FW and Delia) contains only vanilla pods and ethyl alcohol

[jeral Profile]

Sorry not to respond sooner to thank you all for hints, links and info, which is still sinking in toto in terms of read and absorbing.

Re Ndali vanilla powder, can I ask Stokey Sue first: Does the taste diminish once opened by being stored, as at that price I'd hope it might last at least a little while before becoming tasteless, or maybe it retains taste? Ta.

Joanbunting, re you thinking that some might use second or third quality or even used pods, Ndali's ,pdf info sheet says:
[quote]:We only use our best beans. And a generous portion of these are beans covered in rare and exquisite iridescent vanillin crystals – the strongest vanilla in the world. [endquote]
I have no idea needless to say what that means but maybe you or karadekoolaid might have?

Karadekoolaid, I daren't taste the mascarpone yet as if I take the seal off, I'll have to use it quickly, foreshortening its Use-by date, but will bear your advice in mind, especially given other tip that might not be the best thing for savouries.

Thanks for specific recipes too. I have some autumn berries in the freezer so a head start on using the cheese for something. I also have Kahlua coffee liqueur and cocoa powder (for moccha taste) that I can probably wangle in to something.

I'm sorry if not responding to all, but I am printing this out as I won't remember them all. Thanks again.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Re Ndali vanilla powder, can I ask Stokey Sue first: Does the taste diminish once opened by being stored, as at that price I'd hope it might last at least a little while before becoming tasteless, or maybe it retains taste? Ta.

I’ve not had the powder, I just linked to their website

Their other products are very well packaged, the liquid extract is packaged in an aluminium bottle, which seems to be airtight, is obviously light proof, and it lasts well past the bb date

It seems that powder is packaged in an aluminium jar, very similar to the extract bottle, so it should keep well