Cinnamon-Infused Vegan Mascarpone on Focaccia, Topped w/Strawberries and Roasted Pistachios.
Intrigued?
You should be, because it’s just about one of the most delicious combination of flavors I’ve ever had. Call it breakfast, call it lunch, or call it dessert… I have had it for every meal at this point.
This magical creation has been in the back of my mind for years, 3 to be exact. This recipe was inspired by a tiny street-side breakfast spot in San Francisco near Union Square (I don’t recall the name). At that time I had the non-vegan version for breakfast, since I was not vegan at the time. I remember thinking that it was an unusual combination of ingredients I’d never think to pair together, yet it was so delicious! I meant to recreate my own adapted version at home, but then I pushed it to the back of my mind, especially after going vegan, and hadn’t really thought of it until a few weeks ago.
February 26th was National Pistachio Day. Setton Farms Pistachio had a competition going on Social Media to post any photograph showcasing pistachios. I immediately recalled this San Francisco breakfast and was inspired to create a vegan version. After experimenting in the kitchen for about a week, I came up with this delicious vegan cinnamon-infused mascarpone cheese. It is delicate, subtle in taste, and perfect in texture. I toasted some olive oil focaccia, spread a generous layer of my new creation, and topped it with sliced strawberries, roasted pistachios, and some sea salt. I was hooked after one bite. Just look at it! It’s Beautiful!
Needless to say, this was lunch for the next three days.
This recipe is very easy and fairly quick to make. All you have to do is prep the vegan mascarpone cheese, which you can do ahead of time. I’ve made my own focaccia bread before, but for this, I just bought it ready made at our local bakery to keep it easy. If you’re hosting friends for the weekend, having people over, want to make something special for a loved one, or just feel like trying something new and delicious, this recipe is perfect. It also makes for a “fancy/impressive” breakfast or brunch.
Oh and did I mention that I WON Setton Farms National Pistachio Day competition with a photograph of this recipe?!? I was stoked!
Grab the ingredients and make this recipe. You may also find yourself devouring this for three days in a row. Don’t forget to leave a comment below letting me know what you think, or if you post a picture, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
Cinnamon-Infused Vegan Mascarpone on Focaccia Topped with Strawberries and Roasted Pistachios
INGREDIENTS
- 1 focaccia bread round , 8" (see notes below)
- 16 fresh strawberries sliced
- roasted pistachios roughly chopped (salted or unsalted)
For the Cinnamon-Infused Vegan Mascarpone:
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews , soaked in water for 3-4 hours
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted macadamia nuts , soaked in water for 3-4 hours
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 teasp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teasp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teasp salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut whip cream , see notes below on how to easily make your own coconut whip cream
INSTRUCTIONS
To Make the Cinnamon-Infused Vegan Mascarpone:
- Drain the soaked cashews and macadamia nuts. Add them into a powerful blender (I used my Vitamix).
- Add the apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and water.
- Blend on medium and then high, using your tamper to push everything down until you get a nice smooth cream-type consistency and there are no pieces of nuts remaining in the mixture. You should be left with a smooth thick creamy mixture.
- Add the pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Blend once more, pushing everything down until completely blended in.
- Remove the mixture from the blender into a mixing bowl and set aside.
- If you have not yet prepared the unsweetened coconut whip cream, do it now (see notes below on how to make your own).
- Fold in 1/2 cup of prepared unsweetened coconut whip cream into the mixture in the mixing bowl until fully combined.
- The final Cinnamon-Infused Vegan Mascarpone should be thick and creamy, yet have a light component to it from the addition of coconut whip cream. Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup and/or fresh lemon juice if needed, but keep in mind that the taste of this vegan cheese should be more on the subtle side and not very bold (slightly sweet, slightly tangy, with a hint of cinnamon).
To Assemble:
- Depending on the shape and thickness of your focaccia bread, cut it into triangles or squares, and slice it in half horizontally.
- Toast each slice of focaccia bread and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
- Once cool, spread a generous layer of the Cinnamon-Infused Vegan Mascarpone Cheese. Topped it with a generous layer of sliced strawberries. Sprinkle on some chopped roasted pistachios.
- (optional) If your roasted pistachios are NOT salted, sprinkle on a little sea salt.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of focaccia Store any extra vegan mascarpone cheese and coconut whip cream in the fridge.
Reshana
This is a wonderful recipe, soo easy and it looks amazing! Creamy and crunchy, everything you need in one bite! I am not surprised you won, you ROCK Anjali x
anjali
Thanks Reshana! It really is everything in one bite…tons of flavor! You need to make it and try it!
Rashmi
HOLY SMOKES ANJALI…. this is torture to my soul…as I type…it is a dull, rainy, chilled day and I haven’t eaten lunch as yet, my mouth is drooling trying to imagine how amazing this MUST taste…
Your recipes are fantastic <3 and I would devour this in a matter of seconds.
Congratulations, this dish is a winner and I am not surprised 🙂
anjali
Awww…haha you are awesome! I know…this photograph is one of my favorites! So colorful, and tons of delicious components! Sorry for the dull weather, this would definitely brighten up your day…wish I could deliver it to you!
Mandy
Well, I’m not at all surprised that you won!!! What a unique and beautiful creation! I absolutely LOVE pistachios and strawberries and in my pre vegan days, I loved mascarpone. How delicious to infuse it with cinnamon….another favorite of mine! I’ve never tried to recreate that sweet, creamy cheese, but looking over your ingredients, I can see how that would work! YUM!!
anjali
Thank you Mandy!! It is definitely unique and very delicious! I loved mascarpone as well in my pre vegan days, so I finally decided to make my own. You will LOVE this recipe if you like all the ingredients. They work beautifully together. I hope you get a chance to try it out!
Mel @ avirtualvegan.com
What a great idea. Such lovely flavours and textures..and I am working on an awesome focaccia recipe too. Good timing!
anjali
I love focaccia so can’t wait to see your recipe! This one is one of my favs!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well doesn’t that sound delightful! This spread would be perfect on so many things too!! Load in the cinnamon!
anjali
Oh I’m definitely not done with this vegan mascarpone creation of mine…it’ll be used again soon in one of my other recipes =)
Jacqueline Meldrum
That looks like one amazing breakfast!
anjali
Yes it is!! I’ve also had it for lunch and dinner =)
Jenn
Wow, congrats! I can see way…this looks amazing! Strawberries and pistachios were made for each other. And that vegan mascarpone looks so super creamy. Oh, and did I mention cinnamon is my most favorite thing ever?! Yes!! This is for me!
Jenn
I can see WHY, not way. 🙂
anjali
Thanks Jenn! I love this vegan mascarpone that I developed…it’s perfectly creamy and has that texture to it! One of my favorite creations for sure.
pragati
The vegan mascarpone is really interesting. Macademias will make it more buttery than using just cashews, I suppose. Colorful and decadent!!
anjali
I was trying to mimic the flavor, creaminess, and specific texture of mascarpone cheese. The macademias + cashews + coconut cream with some acidity really did the trick! It’s delicious! You should give it a try.
Aimee
Wow! Such a beautiful recipe… Definitely pinning this one 🙂
anjali
Thanks Aimee! One of my favorite creations on my site!
Molly Kumar
Love the combination you have going on here, especially the addition of mascarpone. Delicious!
anjali
The flavors all go so well together, and I LOVE this vegan mascarpone that I came up with! It’s perfect!
Linda @ Veganosity
Congrats on winning the contest! So cool. 🙂 That marscapone sounds amazing. And pistachios are always a yes.
anjali
Thanks Linda! This combo is delicious!
Uma Srinivas
looks really delicious! Sounds good for breakfast time 🙂
anjali
I’ve even enjoyed it for lunch and dinner =) Thank you!
Hauke Fox
Summery, light and delicious looking! Perfect for the weather right now 🙂
anjali
Thanks Hauke!
Donna
This does indeed sound like an absolutely amazing flavour combination!! Love how fancy it, but how simple it is 🙂
anjali
Exactly! Seems and looks fancy, but it’s so easy to make and the flavors are awesome together. Thank you!
PD
Good combination.and test good too.