The Wrinkly But Oh-So-Tasty Chocolate Flecked Cocoa-Mascarpone Frozen Terrine

I am tired of waiting to make ostensibly fancy but actually quite simple desserts just because I know I do not have the time (or the hands, let’s be honest) to make them as pretty as they should be. So I whipped this up–faster than I would ever make chocolate chip cookies (and not the NY Times recipe). It was that easy. And honestly if I could just place plastic wrap evenly and totally flat into a loaf pan, it would even be plenty pretty.

But as it is it is wrinkly and kind of sad looking and gosh darn if it is not one of the best things to pass my lips this summer. Let’s just say it is a good thing it is frozen and wrapped up, otherwise it would be too too easy to get into and eat all day long.

This recipe is based on a terrine I found at Martha Stewart’s website, but as you will see it is not toffee. I used her design ideas (beautification is not my strong suit, as previously noted) and her base, but I changed the flavor combo.

I did have one accident that while I liked how it turned out I am not sure if I could replicate it. When I drizzled the melted chocolate into the whipped mascarpone, apparently the cream cheese was still quite cold, so the chocolate instantly hardened and fractured, creating a double chocolate appearance–as though I had put thousands of tiny chocolate shards into cocoa batter. I don’t really think it matters either way–it still tasted terrific.

Chocolate Flecked Cocoa-Mascarpone Frozen Terrine
Adapted from Martha Stewart

19 chocolate wafer cookies
11 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese, or a combination (I used mascarpone, cold but soft, see notes above)
1/2 cup sugar + 2 T sugar (divided)
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups heavy cream
3 oz chopped semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (you could use 6 oz of one or the other)
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t instant espresso dissolved in 2 t of water

Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with 2 sheets of plastic wrap, with long sides overhanging by about 3 inches. Remove as many wrinkles as possible (haha). Arrange 3 wafers, flat side up, in a row in the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Add the dissolved espresso to the melted chocolate and stir. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the whipped cream until foamy (or use whip attachment to mixer). Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla and whip until you have soft peaks–only soft, on the soft side of soft. Do not whip into stiff peaks. Remove about 2/5 cup (just guesstimate) and spread it over the arranged cookies in the pan. Layer 8 cookies over this–overlapping if necessary.

Scrape out the bowl and switch to a wooden spoon or a paddle attachment. Beat the mascarpone and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the chocolate mixture. Take 1/4 of the remaining whipped cream and stir it into the mascarpone mixture. Then fold the remaining whipped cream into the sweetened chocolate mascarpone with a rubber spatula.

Spread half of the chocolate-mascarpone-whipped cream mixture into the pan. Layer with another 8 cookies. Spread the remaining mixture into the pan, evenly. Pull the overhanging plastic wrap around the terrine and place the pan in the freezer. Chill for (according to Martha Stewart) at least 4 hours before removing and slicing–I waited 24 hours.