Edible Puff Pastry Basket Filled With Fresh Fruit And Mascarpone Cream
If you're a fan of Michael Scott and The Office, you'll know that a gift basket is the ultimate sign of respect. They're usually a cute plaited basket that's filled to the brim with delicious fruit, but what if you gave someone a gift basket that was edible? A basket filled with delicious mascarpone cream and fresh fruit, where you could eat the basket itself? Incredible, but true!
You'll Need:
For the basket:
- 3-4 puff pastry rolls
- whisked egg yolk for the egg wash
- some water to bind the dough
For the mascarpone cream:
- 2⅔ cups mascarpone
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- grated dark chocolate
For the strawberries:
- 14 oz strawberries, quartered
- 2 tbsp strawberry jam
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
Extra:
- oval serving dish
- aluminum foil
- apricot jam
Here's How:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap an oval serving dish with aluminum foil and turn it over, then grease the entire surface of the dish.
2. Cut the puff pastry into ½-inch thick strips and use the braiding technique from the video to braid the strands together. The basket consists of a total of 4 parts: a large bottom part, 2 braided strands for a more stable edge, and a braided strand for the handle. "Glue" the 2 braided strands to the edge of the bottom part. Use a little bit of water to make everything stick together well.
3. Transfer the serving dish with the braided dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush the egg wash over the dough, and bake for about 50 minutes. The handle has to be baked at the same temperature, but only for 20 minutes. That's why it's best to bake the basket first and then the handle. Allow both parts to cool completely and then gently remove the bottom part from the serving dish wrapped in aluminum foil.
4. Add the mascarpone, sugar, and the pulp of 1 vanilla bean to a bowl and mix everything with a hand mixer. Fold in the whipped cream and grate in the chocolate.
5. Slice the strawberries into quarters and add them to a bowl with the strawberry jam. Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and mix everything together.
6. Transfer the mascarpone cream to the basket and add the marinated strawberries every now and then. The surface of the cream should be smoothed out and garnished with fresh fruit. You can brush the fruit with warm apricot jam to give it a nice shine. Finally, place the handle on the fruit basket. If the handle refuses to hold, use a few toothpicks.
This gift basket looks unbelievably pretty! Plus, it's entirely made from scratch – what could be a more meaningful gift than that? And that mascarpone cream is just out-of-this-world yummy. Have fun making and gifting this!