Coconut Mascarpone Cream with Caramelized Pineapple

We’ve had several inches of snow on two separate occasions this week, meanwhile my family and many friends are posting pictures of themselves at the beach in my native Brazil, where it’s the peak of summer.  So I decided to bring a little bit of summer to my kitchen with this tropical dessert recipe. The creamy coconut mascarpone really works well with the caramelized pineapple, it looks (and tastes) delicious, and is super easy to make.

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup caramelized pineapples, chopped (to caramelize, just heat in a non-stick pan for 2-3 minutes)
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 tablespoons coconut milk
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Mix the mascarpone cheese and coconut milk until smooth.
2. Add in the whipping cream, powdered sugar and mix on medium high for 1-2 minutes until stiff peaks form, gently fold in your coconut flakes.
3. Layer pineapple over the cream; repeat layers as needed
4. Garnish with a little more pineapple, coconut flakes, or even a sprig of mint
5. Enjoy!