Creamy, sophisticated, easy to make Kahlua mascarpone fudgsicles

This is a really simple yet sophisticated treat for the adults at a summer barbecue. Mascarpone cheese makes it thick and creamy, and the alcohol gives it a smooth texture and a depth of flavor. It’s almost a mocha, but not quite. It’s a fudge pop with a hint of coffee. Starting with one of David Lebovitz’s ice cream reicpes, I reduced the alcohol, added some cocoa, and poured the base into pop molds….This transformed tiramisu ice cream into Kahlua mascarpone fudgsicles. Yum!

About the ingredients

Kahlua

Do feel free to use a different liqueur, if you’re not crazy about Kahlua (coffee liqueur). I see greatness in raspberry, orange, almond, or hazelnut liqueur for this recipe.

Mascarpone cheese

This is a soft, un-aged Italian cheese which can be purchased at specialty shops and some grocery stores. It’s also super easy to make your own, as described here. It’s quite mild and not at all tangy. To me it tastes a lot like soft Ricotta, but it’s smoother, more like sour cream in texture.

Cocoa

As always, I feel compelled to point out that different brands of cocoa have really different flavors. Whatever you choose will dramatically affect the flavor of whatever you make with it. And natural cocoa tastes really different from Dutch process cocoa. Don’t let anyone tell you that one is better than the other. Use a cocoa that tastes good to you. An excellent natural cocoa, and the one I use, is Omanhene. I feel really good about promoting it, because it’s truly beyond Fair Trade. The cocoa is manufactured locally in Ghana, adding to the local economy. That also reduces the carbon footprint, compared to that of companies which ship the raw beans to another country for processing. And it’s delicious. You can buy it here: Omanhene All Natural, Single Origin Cocoa Powder, non-alkalized, 7 Ounce Canister (Pack of 4)

Kahlua mascarpone fudgsicles

Kahlua mascarpone fudgsicles

Makes 10 3-ounce pops, plus a little extra

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa, or 1/4 cup Dutch process unsweetened cocoa
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup low fat or whole milk
• 1/4 cup Kahlua (coffee liqueur)

1. Whisk dry ingredients together in small bowl until free of lumps
2. Add blended dry ingredients, the cheese, the milk, and the liqueur to a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.
3. Pour into molds and freeze. I use a set of 10 3-ounce pop molds. This leaves a little left over, which I pour into a paper cup, add a popsicle stick, and freeze. For the pop molds, I use this no-frills set: Norpro Ice Pop Maker

Kahlua mascarpone fudgsicles

Do you make fudge pops? What’s your favorite method?

Shared on: Simple Life Sunday #17, Heritage Homesteaders Hop #11, Homestead Barn Hop #159, Thank Goodness it’s Monday #70, Homemade Mondays #80, Backyard Farming Connection #80, Tuesday’s Table, Wicked Awesome Wednesday #160, HomeAcre Hop #70, From the Farm Blog Hop, Weekend ReTreat #67, Simply Natural Saturdays, Saturday Night Fever #34, Motivation Monday #91