For the creamiest results, allow the mascarpone to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

　　1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

　　8 ounces mascarpone cheese

　　2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

　　Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and stir together with a wooden spoon.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.