Blueberry Amaretti Crisp With Fresh Vanilla Mascarpone Cream

This wonderful, yummy dessert is a blueberry crisp...with a twist!! The Mascarpone Cream alone is excellent and can easily be made up for other desserts!! This dessert can be made ahead of time in stages then brought together very quickly, making it a snap to prepare

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Topping

• 200  g amaretti cookies (1 package, roughly crushed)
• 1⁄2 cup  slivered almonds
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄4 cup butter, melted

• Fruit

• 6  cups blueberries, thawed
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch

• Mascarpone Cream

• 1⁄2 cup  whipping cream
• 1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3  tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Topping: Place about 3/4 of the package in a large zip lock bag. Crush the cookies by hand -- small chunks of cookie should be visible. There should be about 1-2/3 cups total. Add almonds, brown sugar, flour. Add melted butter and mix with hands until well incorporated (Crumbs can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
2. Fruit: In a container, measure out the blueberries and let thaw. (This can be done in advance) Drain off excess liquid and add sugar and cornstarch. Butter an 8" square baking dish and add the berries.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F Top berries with crumb mixture. (Pan is quite full, but does not spill over when baking) Bake for 35 minutes or until edges are bubbly. (Watch towards the end as the topping can burn quite easily).
4. Mascarpone Cream: Using an electric mixer, whip marscarpone with cream and sugar until thick like firmly whipped cream. Add vanilla. Cover and chill until needed, up to 2 days. (Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature just before serving, optional).
5. To serve: Serve crisp warm or at room temperature topped with a dollop of mascarpone cream. Garnish with a few toasted almonds.