The 4th of July is known for two things: Freedom and berries, particularly of the red and blue variety. Not wanting to stray far from tradition, I created a festive puff pastry dessert with strawberries, blueberries and one not so traditional ingredient. Well, not a traditional American ingredient at least. The creamy sweet filling is made of Italian mascarpone cheese.
Now, I'm not Italian. Not even a little. But, every now and then I sit down and spend a half hour in front of my TV with Giada DeLaurentis. I pretend I can say "spaghetti" with her perfect Italian accent. I try to add up all the calories in her carb-laden dishes and wonder how she stays so thin. But mostly, I just want to add mascarpone cheese to everything I eat. Baked tortellini, tiramisu, banana muffins, cupcakes... you name it, I'll add mascarpone if Giada says its the right thing to do.
This recipe is so simple, yet festive. Tender puff pastry, sweet mascarpone filling, vanilla beans, zesty lemon and perfectly fresh berries. I think Giada would be proud. So add some Italian to your American celebration today.
