This post was a long time coming, in a few ways.
First, the recipe. Mascarpone Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Hot Chocolate Soup. I first met this recipe in 2008 by way of an early but classic Cooking Club (Hostess: me; Theme: Soup’s On!; Date: 12.07.08). Every recipe in that menu was a soup, and this dessert course did not disappoint. The menu included recipes you may recognize, like One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna Ragu with Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage and Roasted Tomato Soup. We still talk about that theme and menu all the time, even though we are at over 85 themes!
I saw that when I sent this recipe to my cooking club as part of the menu, back in the days when we spent time organizing things for each other, I just copied the recipe into a word document with no attribution. In trying to track its origins for this post in order to give credit where due if possible, I did some internet searching – and I was not surprised to learn that this delicious concoction comes from a favorite – Emeril! Who knew. Well, now you do. And I do.
Second, my recent reconnection with this recipe.
At Craft Day. A true occasion for celebration and indulgence.
A crafting smorgasbord, if you will. A buffet of crafts.
On this magical occasion, two colleagues and I took leave from work, and. we. crafted. All day. Into the night. We walked my dog once (poor guy – he was so good), and took turns making meals and snacks, but other than that… we crafted.
We hatched this plan at a happy hour months before, and did quite a bit of preparation, making lists of supplies owned and to-be-purchased; planning out foods we anticipated craving; and testing out various mission statements, logos, and goals.
And hashtags. Winner:
#NoRegrets.
Craft Day was very shortly after the end of Passover, and two of us knew we would be interested in making up for lost time in the bread department. I also knew I did not want to spend a lot of time baking on a day of crafts, and this recipe popped to mind.
My colleagues did not object.
So, the Mascarpone Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Hot Chocolate Soup.
It’s very photogenic. It’s also not difficult to put together. Melt the 4 ingredients to make the hot chocolate soup; mix the 3 ingredients for the grilled cheese, spread them on the bread, and brown them up. I found a loaf of brioche at Trader Joe’s that perfectly makes 4 sandwiches, but you can try any brioche or challah.
If you couldn’t tell, this recipe is a wee bit indulgent. Not unlike Craft Day.
I have to admit that I haven’t been making grilled cheese sandwiches my entire life {I really should have called this blog, “I like cheese, I don’t love cheese,” I feel like I explain that a lot} and it takes a little experience to get the cheese to melt at the same time the bread reaches the perfect shade of toasty brown. If you have any tips for this, please leave them in the comments!
- 1 c heavy or light cream
- 1 c whole milk
- 1 c milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate bar
- .25 c coffee-flavored liqueur, like Kahlua
- 3 T cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 T honey
- 3 T mascarpone cheese (find it in the dairy aisle by the sour cream, in a small plastic tub)
- 8 thick slices brioche, or challah
- unsalted butter, for browning the bread
- Combine the cream and milk in a heavy, small or medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Do it slowly so you don't scorch the cream and milk.
- Add the chocolate and whisk constantly, until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the Kahlua. Cover to keep warm.
- Combine the cream cheese, honey, and mascarpone in a small bowl and mix until well blended.
- Spread the cheese and honey mixture on 4 slices of the bread and top with the remaining 4 slices.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat - cast iron works well if you have one. Add a small pat of butter and swirl it round the pan as it melts.
- Add a sandwich and cook until it browns on the bottom (about 1 to 2 minutes). Flip and brown the other side. Brioche is a buttery bread, and it will brown quickly, so check on it frequently.
- Remove the sandwich from the skillet, add another small pat of butter, and repeat until you have browned all 4 sandwiches.
- Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles.
- To serve, ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls or ramekins and serve with 2 grilled cheese triangles.
- Serve immediately.
Also, I have been saying “marscapone” my entire life. Look at me, learning. Mascarpone!
Adapted from: http://emerils.com/120589/mascarpone-brioche-sandwiches-chocolate-soup
This AMAZING! My hubby, who isn’t the biggest sweets fan, asked for seconds hahaha. I made it with brioche. I think this may become a regular in our home . Thanks for a fun treat!
I can testify (ahem) to how delicious this was! And something everyone will love. When the weather gets colder, I will make this for my family (modified gluten free). I’ll post a comment when I figure out the best GF bread option for this sweet grilled cheese!