Mascarpone cream with Strega liqueur

Method

1. 01 /

   Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the lemon peel, being careful, when you cut it, not to remove the bitter white part as well.

   Score the vanilla pod on the long side and, once opened, remove the seeds with the back of a small knife, then add them to the milk. Also add half of the sugar and put on the heat until the milk reaches a boil.

   Separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the remaining sugar, stirring vigorously with a whisk.

   Add the cornstarch and continue to mix with the whisk until you have a frothy mixture.

   Strain the milk through a strainer and add it to the egg mixture, stirring to mix the ingredients. Pour into a saucepan and put it back on the heat, stirring well and taking the cream obtained off the heat when it reaches the first boil.

   Put the Strega on a baking sheet and pour on the cream, mixing it with the liqueur.

   Cover with cling film touching the surface of the cream and let it cool in the fridge to minimise the bacterial load.

   Once cooled, put the cream in a bowl, add the mascarpone, and mix vigorously with a whisk until the mixture is smooth and even.

   Strega, a great traditional Italian liqueur, can be replaced with another liqueur to your liking. The taste of the flavouring is up to you!

   Mascarpone cream is usually paired with panettone at Christmas, but you can also serve it all year round, for example with simple cookies.