Originating in Italy, mascarpone is a mild and creamy fresh cheese with a consistency similar to soft butter or thick crème fraîche and a fat content between 70 and 75 percent. You may know it as the key ingredient in the decadent Italian dessert tiramisu. This recipe hails from Allison Hooper, award-winning cheese maker and co-owner of the notable Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. The overnight process is virtually effortless, and the resulting cheese may very well be the best mascarpone I've ever tasted.
Ingredients
Makes 12 ounces
Step 1
1. Read through the recipe and review any terms and techniques you aren't familiar with. Assemble your equipment, supplies, and ingredients, including a dairy or kitchen thermometer; clean and sterilize your equipment as needed and lay it out on clean kitchen towels.
Step 2
2. In a nonreactive, heavy 2-quart saucepan with a lid, whisk together the cream and powdered milk. Place over low heat and slowly bring to 180°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. It should take about 40 minutes to come to temperature. Turn off the heat.
Step 3
3. Slowly squeeze the juice from half of the lemon into the cream. Switch to a metal spoon and keep stirring; do not use a whisk, as that will inhibit the curd formation. Watch carefully to see if the cream starts to coagulate. You will not see a clean break between curds and whey. Rather, the cream will coat the spoon and you will start to see some flecks of solids in the cream.
Step 4
4. Add the juice from the remaining lemon half and stir with the spoon to incorporate. Cover the pan and cool the cream in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
Step 5
5. When the cream is firm to the touch, transfer it to a bowl or colander lined with clean, damp butter muslin. Draw the ends together and twist into a ball to squeeze out the excess moisture. This last step will make the mascarpone thick.
Step 6
6. This cheese is now ready to eat. It has a very short shelf life, so refrigerate what you don't eat immediately and use it within 2 days.
Leave a Review
Reviews (4)
Back to TopCouid I heat the cream by the sous-vide method so I don’t have to stir for 40 minutes?
Gina B
Montreal
11/22/2021
The only heavy cream I could find was ultra-pasteurized with thickeners added but this still made delicious cheese with a great texture. The only thing I'm not sure about was squeezing the whey out. I only ended up with a couple of ounces and my cheese stuck to the cheesecloth in some places. I am assuming this is due to my poor technique because I've never made cheese before, but I'm not sure what I did wrong. I will definitely make this again.
JDRoane
5/17/2020
Magic, indeed. This turned out beautifully. I followed the instructions to a T, and it was perfect for my tiramisu.
caancate
PNW
12/6/2017
OK... Its MAGIC people. Pure, Mind-blowing Magic. We can make cheese at home! We can make really good - great , fresh cheese... at home. I follow all new recipes to the letter the first time around. This recipe delivered an awesome rich creamy Marscapone! I had tried another recipe that was similar, but it excluded the powdered milk. This is the recipe that will bless all future desserts and savory celebrations. It is too easy and delicious to ever go buy again. Lastly, there was a great yield for this recipe and the ingredients cost significantly less the commercially available Marscapone when you make it yourself. This must get 4 forks ... I'd dish more if I could Try this and shift your world - Say Cheese people!
rguntherjr
Staten Island, NY
3/8/2016
See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
-
23 Dreamy Ways to Use Mascarpone
Our best mascarpone recipes include riffs on tiramisu, rich vegetarian lasagna, and a vintage cake doused in sherry.
