Cheese Experiment #2: Mascarpone

Most people have heard of mascarpone as an ingredient in tiramisu, or have seen it when browsing the fancy cheese section of the store. It generally comes in a 6oz container and costs enough that you'd think twice before purchasing it. What is it really, though?

Basically, mascarpone is like Italian cream cheese, but oh so much more refined. It is creamy, smooth and cool, perfect for desserts or mixing into a special sauce to add richness. Is it easy to make? Yep.

As with the previous experiment, first step was to gather tools.

Next, gather ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup dry milk solids
1 lemon, cut in half

Three ingredients, again! Doable? I think so.

First thing's first. I added the cream and milk solids together and whisked them in the pot.

Then came the waiting. The milk needed to come to 180 degrees (sound familiar?) over low heat. This took quite a while, about an hour. Once it reached temperature, I squeezed in one half of the lemon and switched to a metal spoon to mix, then added in the juice from the second half of the lemon.

This was the resulting curd. Not so much a separation as in the previous cheese, but a serious thickening.

Finally, this had to be covered and placed in the refrigerator to cool overnight. What resulted?

It looks, more or less, like yogurt, but tastes divine! It was so creamy, so rich, with just the barest aroma and flavor of fresh lemon that you might not even notice. I wanted to dig in with my spoon, but refrained. What shall I do with it? I'm not sure, but since this product has an extremely limited shelf life, three days or so, I better figure it out fast!

Have a favorite mascarpone recipe? Share it below. I love to hear ideas. :)