Homemade Mascarpone

Here's another easy DIY recipe which is pretty similar to homemade ricotta. Of course, now that I've proclaimed how easy it is, I'll confess that we completely botched it up the first time we tried it. There was much fretting about just what went wrong, but in the end it was just a matter of heat. Not enough heat, that is.

 

And as it turns out, our "bad batch" of mascarpone is still pretty damn tasty. It was a little more lemony than mascarpone is supposed to be…we didn’t have much trouble finding a way to use it up (with pasta and tomato sauce).  So don’t let a screw-up dissuade you from trying your hand at homemade mascarpone.  Heavy cream is delicious no matter what!

 

 

The successful batch of mascarpone was super thick, creamy, and mild (not tangy).  Exactly like it’s supposed to be.  No preservatives, no plastic wrapped containers, and the crowning glory – cheaper than the store-bought version!

 

Homemade Mascarpone

• 2 cups cream, pasteurized but not ultra-pasteurized

• 1 tb fresh lemon juice

• candy thermometer

• cheesecloth

Heat cream gently in heavy-bottomed saucepan until it reaches 190 F, stirring to ensure the bottom doesn't scorch. It should be gently simmering at this point. Add lemon juice to the cream and continue to heat at 190 F for 5 minutes while continuing to stir. The cream will thicken up so that it coats the back of your spoon, but no visible curds will form.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Once it has cooled, pour the cream into a sieve lined with four layers of cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Allow the cream to drain, letting it cool completely. Not much liquid will drain out – we only got 1 or 2 Tbsp.

Cover with plastic wrap, and put the sieve in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the cheese from the sieve and store for up to 10 days. Yield: about 1 1/2 cups.

French Toast with Mascarpone and Rhubarb Strawberry Compote

Berry and Mascarpone Tart