Winter Citrus & Pomegranate Mascarpone Cups

It's the middle of a freezing cold winter, but I'm still in the mood for dessert.

Good thing this satisfying and beautiful dessert recipe for citrus & pomegranate mascarpone cups is perfect for winter parties or for a special treat at home.

It is super elegant but also incredibly simple to throw together.

The perfect winter dessert

Maybe I'm stretching the 'middle' part because it is only the beginning of January, but it's been SO frigid here that I keep hoping it's almost over. 

Last weekend I visited my brand new, adorable niece in Michigan (she is THE BEST) and had to drive through some pretty terrible snowstorms, so I am just sort of over winter already. 

It was totally worth the drive to see her, but still... why so much snow and why so cold?

Okay, that's the end of my soapbox on winter.  What I really want to chat about today is this dessert.  I don't have a wild sweet tooth, which I know I've talked about before, which is why I LOVE this dessert. 

It's not super sweet because there's no added sugar, but it's just sweet enough from the pomegranate juice, fruit, mascarpone and yogurt.  It hits all the right notes - it's citrusy, slightly tangy and sweet, creamy, crunchy, and has that nice mouthfeel which makes it super satisfying. 

So satisfying that I had it for lunch today and was so happy for several hours.  Don't judge me until you try it.

Pomegranates, citrus and mascarpone

The first layer is a simple, 4-ingredient pomegranate sauce, which is just pomegranate juice, clementine zest, cornstarch and a pinch of stevia if you want a little extra sweetness (but it definitely isn't required). 

And before I move on to the other layers, I need to swoon over pomegranate juice. It's powered by antioxidants, and is whole-pressed, meaning it has a unique blend of polyphenol antioxidants from two whole pomegranates – including its fruit, pith and rind – in each 8 oz bottle. 

It's pretty amazing how much nutrition is packed into a cup of this juice, don't you think? 

See, I can eat dessert for lunch and feel good about it.

The next layer is a load of slivered clementines, which happen to be in season in the winter!  Basically the little fruits are peeled and segmented and added to the pomegranate sauce. 

Then, top it with an amazing whipped mixture of mascarpone, vanilla yogurt and pure vanilla extract.  Wisconsin mascarpone is SO delicious, creamy and provides the perfect texture and mouthfeel in contrast to the tangy citrus and sweet pomegranate sauce.  It's like heaven.

And last, but not least, are the toppings: juicy pomegranate arils, crunchy, nutty pistachios (my fave!) and fresh mint sprigs. 

It is super elegant but also incredibly simple to throw together.

You're really going to impress people with these winter citrus & pomegranate mascarpone cups. 

And, it'll help you (me) get through winter.

If you love pomegranate as much as I do, you may want to try my recipes for Arugula, Blood Orange & Honey Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and The Ultimate Autumn Salad.

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