Roasted Citrus Bowls with Honey Mascarpone Cream

These roasted citrus bowls are a combination of winter fruits, caramelized by the oven, and creamy mascarpone cheese with honey.

In a very digital world, our first impressions of people typically come from email or social media interactions instead of face to face. Even though these circumstances are different, I really feel you can read personalities and demeanor the same way.

When you stumble upon a genuine person, you know it immediately, like my kind, wicked smart, and beautiful friend Sarah of Snixy Kitchen. We met through blogging last year she solved a tech problem that was giving me fits, and soon after I got lost in her blog – beautiful story-telling and photography that will make your mouth water. Later we bonded over cats and good food, and soon a friendship formed. To bring things to life, I flew out to California to visit, just knowing it would feel like we’d been friends for years. And it did. We had the best time together, shooting recipes, going to the Cat Cafe, cooking dinner at Alanna’s house, and scouring the city for food props.

Just as I knew Sarah would be a friend I could count on no matter the number of miles between us, I know that she is going to be the most amazing mother to her #cheesebabygirl due in just a few weeks – which is why a group of blogger friends are throwing her a surprise virtual baby shower today! 

Sarah is known for her love of cheese and has had a fierce craving while pregnant, so much so that she’s been referring to her bun in the oven as #cheesebabygirl. She loves sweets too, (must make her bacon fat gingersnaps), so with those things in mind, we all came up with a delicious dish to share.

These Roasted Citrus Bowls were inspired by all the pretties that are in season, with vibrant colors and juicy tartness, a refreshing palate awakener in the doldrums of winter.

My first thought was to cut the grapefruit in half and brûlée (another word for broiling) it like this, then top it with honey swirled mascarpone cream. But when I want to eat my dessert, I want those citrus segments to be at the ready instead of having to dig out each piece and fight with the membrane.

This quick roasting method is quite simple. You’ll still get lovely caramelization, by segmenting the grapefruit and oranges (here’s a tutorial in case it’s your first time), and the heat brings out their natural sweetness. Meanwhile you’ll stir the honey and a bit of crushed cardamom into the mascarpone, and when the citrus is done, you’re ready to build these beautiful bowls. You can even make homemade mascarpone cheese if you want!

There’s a lot of delight in the luscious pile of fruit atop that creamy cradle, infused with the soft notes of cardamom and honey.

Think of the mascarpone as a richer, decadent greek yogurt – a lightly sweet italian cheese that I realized I should be eating more often. I topped the bowls with crushed pistachios for a little crunch, but any nut would do.

This is one of those desserts (or brunch treats) that is so effortlessly elegant, especially when entertaining because everything can be made two days ahead, then assemble as needed.

If you make these Roasted Citrus Bowls, be sure to tag me on instagram with hashtag #heartbeetkitchen or @heartbeetkitchen!

Roasted Citrus Bowls with Honey Mascarpone

Breakfast bowls or a dessert can be made with roasted citrus and mascarpone cheese.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time :10 minutes

Cook Time :7 minutes

Total Time :17 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

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Ingredients

• 2 medium grapefruit segmented
• 2 medium oranges segmented
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• honey to taste
• crushed pistachios for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the citrus segments with olive oil and salt, then lay on a parchment covered baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together mascarpone, cardamom, and as much honey as you'd like depending how sweet you like things. Start out with 1 tablespoon and go from there.
• Remove citrus from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, then divide between four bowls with the mascarpone. Top with crushed pistachios.

Notes

You can roast the fruit two days ahead of time, as well as the mascarpone. Just keep them separate, then assemble when ready to serve.