The “secret ingredient” in this recipe is the mascarpone cheese. As Leigh, grand-daughter of both Jeanie and Lulu says, “…there is something so magical about the combination of mascarpone with blueberries… (it) gave the….casserole the most incredible mouthfeel.”

Mascarpone can sometimes be hard to find at markets. You can make your own by combining 1 quart of heavy cream with ¼ teaspoon of tartaric acid. If you cannot find tartaric acid, you could use ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar, which is derived from tartaric acid.

Don’t make too much mascarpone, however, as it will spoil within a few days. You might want to plan an entire menu around this unusual ingredient, or share it with neighbors, family and friends.

 

INGREDIENTS

8 whole blueberry muffins

4 whole eggs

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature

1 cup milk

1 pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup water

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 dash balsamic vinegar

 

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and get out an 8 x 8 baking dish. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray. Take the muffins and cut them into small pieces by cutting each of them in half, then cutting each half into quarters. Pile the muffin pieces into an even layer in the pan. Then combine the eggs, mascarpone cheese, milk, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk it all together thoroughly. Pour that mixture slowly and carefully into the pan with the muffin pieces so that it doesn’t overflow. Gently press the muffin pieces into the custard to make sure they all get soaked in it.

Bake the casserole for about 50 minutes, until the custard sets and the very top starts to get toasty. While it bakes, make the easy blueberry syrup. Combine the water, fresh blueberries and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat it up over medium high heat. Let it come to a gentle boil and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will thicken and become a gorgeous syrup. Pour in the dash of balsamic and let it cook for another couple of minutes. Set the pan aside off of the heat. When the casserole is done, let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut it into quarters. Serve it immediately with the syrup on top! Enjoy!

 

USE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW

NEXT

Quick Tip:  If you cannot find fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries can be used. Thaw them out and reserve any liquid that comes off of them to use in making the blueberry syrup. Do not exceed the total of 1 cup of blueberry juice/water mix or your syrup may not thicken properly.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Leigh at jeanieandluluskitchen.com