Soft and creamy, mascarpone plays a crucial role in several Italian sweets – it's a fundamental component of tiramisù and often served alongside panettone on Christmas.
Mascarpone boosts the flavor of any dessert of which it's part or accompanying – the fresher the mascarpone, the better. It's simple to make at home as it calls for just two ingredients: fresh cream and fresh lemon juice. It just requires some time as it has to sit in the fridge overnight. We also suggest having a thermometer and kitchen scale on hand as well. Here’s our recipe.
How to make home-made mascarpone
Ingredients:
7 oz. fresh cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
Method:
Heat the cream in a saucepan over low heat until it reaches 185°F. Maintain this temperature for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat (it’s okay if the temperature goes up a few degrees). Pour the filtered lemon juice into the cream and stir to mix well. The cream will begin to thicken slowly, forming small lumps. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare a large bowl by placing a colander lined with a cloth on top. Pour the cream into the colander and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. When the mascarpone detaches easily from the cloth, it’s ready to be stored in a container and consumed.