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bell' alimento

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Mascarpone

By Paula |

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dollop of mascarpone on white plate with sliced strawberries and kiwi

Welcome to the Cheese Chronicles! Yes, my cheese chronicles. I ADORE cheese and it’s about time I started making it myself! I’m starting out with the softer cheeses and will work my way up to the hard cheeses. I thought melt in your mouth Mascarpone would be a good start.

Ah, I could seriously just eat this out of the container with a spoon. It’s so light, creamy, luscious AND EXPENSIVE! Yes, stinking expensive. Well no more will you have to pay $5, $6 or even more for the smallest container at the grocery, or in my case I have to go to a specialty store. Nope.   

dollop of mascarpone on spoon sitting on white plate.

You’re NOT going to believe how easy Mascarpone is to make. Just TWO little ingredients. I KNOW right! And well love and a little time but that’s a gimme. I’m not going to name names or anything but I know a lot of people who believe that Mascarpone is just like the regular cream cheese you can pick up in the grocery.

While I do like that cream cheese, MASCARPONE is NOT the same. Oh no, one bite of this creamy goodness will set you quivering with glee. At least it does for me.

homemade mascarpone dollop on white plate with slices of strawberries and kiwi.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE MASCARPONE? 

It’s pronounced MASK – ARE- PONE – AY. Now say it with me ; ) {yikes I sounded like Dora there for a minute} BRAVO! You’re a natural!

WHAT SPECIAL EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE MASCARPONE? 

There are a few special things you’ll need to make Mascarpone. A nice fine cheesecloth and a digital thermometer. It goes without saying that you should buy the best cream you can find since there are only two ingredients. Your mouth will thank you in the end. 

TIPS FOR MAKING MASCARPONE 

A few observations I made during my Mascarpone tribulations this past week were: I tried making this using a double boiler and didn’t get the same results as using the water bath. I also tried substituting vinegar for the lemon juice and while the texture and consistency were the same the taste was slightly different. I preferred the lemon juice, but feel free to substitute it out & try for yourself also good to know you can if you don’t have lemon on hand. 

Be patient, follow the steps and you should have Mascarpone in no time, well okay in less than 24 hours but hey who’s counting.

As you can probably tell from the pictures some of my favorite ways to enjoy Mascarpone is on the spoon LOL and with fresh berries ah! It’s also equally ah-mazing in risottos and I love it on a nice piece of toasted bread with fresh jam *swoon* I could go on and on…

MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY

If you’re feeling inspired by this mascarpone recipe, chances are you’ll love these other recipes:

Mascarpone

spoon with mascarpone on white plate.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Into a very large pan place about 1 1/2 " of water on to boil. When water comes to a boil, reduce heat to LOW and bring to simmer.
  2. Place cream into a medium size glass/metal bowl. Sit bowl directly into pan with simmering water creating a water bath.
  3. Insert digital thermometer and allow cream to rise to 189 degrees Fahrenheit. Stirring often. WHEN cream reaches 189 degrees Fahrenheit, be patient this could take up to about 30 minutes, add lemon juice. Stir.
  4. When cream begins to bubble along the edges and is thickening remove from water bath and allow to cool, approximately 25 -30 minutes.
  5. WHILE your cream is cooling prepare a sieve with dampened fine weave cheesecloth. If your cheesecloth is not a fine weave you'll need to layer your cheesecloth. Place sieve over a bowl. When cream is cool pour mixture into the sieve.
  6. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 16 hours. Can leave up to 24 hours.
  7. Once the mixture has set the appropriate amount of time, uncover your Mascarpone, scrape it from cheesecloth and transfer to an airtight container. Discard liquid that remains in bottom bowl.
  8. Use within a few days of making. Keep refrigerated.
© Paula Jones

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Comments

  3. Sharlene (Wheels and Lollipops) says

    Yummy, will try to attempt this but the Italian guy two steps from my house has such awesome mascarpone ! Going to try !!! Can’t wait for Ricotta, one of my fav cheeses ( don’t tell the French hubby that)

  6. Nicole says

    This is amazing! It is so expensive in those little plastic tubs. I can only imagine how much more delicious my tiramisu recipe will be with this! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  10. Baking Barrister says

    I’ve always had mascarpone as a dessert thing–and an infrequent one at that. With berry season amongst us I will have to try making some for a berrymisu.

  12. Farrah says

    I never thought it would be that easy. Luv it! I’m gonna have to try this it is a @&%*^ how much the stores charge for a lil tub.

  13. Frieda says

    It’s always fun to meet someone who LOVES cheese! I have had my adventures in making mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar and currently am ripening a Parmesan cheese. I found a dual temp wine cooler that is acting as my ‘cheese cave.’

    I can’t believe that I have never tried mascarpone, let alone make it! It is definitely on my to do list…

  15. Deborah says

    I always have heavy whipping cream and lemons on hand, I just never dreamed I could make my own mascarpone! I think you just changed my life. Thanks! Can’t wait for ricotta!

    I had the one of the most delicious cheeses of my life during our recent trip to Tuscany. The farm where we stayed made pecorino and aged it in walnut leaves. Amazing!

  16. Magdalena says

    Interesting post aboput mascarpone, I would like to make my own one at home.

    If you are a cheese lover, I am giving you below three Wikipedia links to Polish style sheep’s cheeses. They are delicious, but completely not known in the world, but maybe you can just read about them :)))

  22. Serene says

    You can toss the whey (the liquid left over) into your homemade bread or soup instead of throwing it out.

  23. Fuji Mama says

    I have to say that homemade mascarpone has to be one of the best things ever!!! Can’t wait to try your recipe! XOXO

  24. Lori @ RecipeGirl says

    Hello Sweetie- Wow, this is good stuff 🙂 I can’t believe you made it yourself!! You know that I’m a little bit of a cheese fanatic/snob right now & this is looking so amazing. Great job!

  25. Chris says

    Yum. We are trying to make cheese blintzes tomorrow and we’re debating what kind of cheese fillings to use. Looking at a blend of ricotta, marscapone, and/or cream cheese.

  27. yael says

    Thanks so much for this post! I know what you mean about the price of mascarpone. I avoid many recipes that call for it simply because of the cost. Now I don’t have to! I can make it myself!! Looking forward to more cheese recipes.

  28. Joanne says

    Thank you so much for sharing this. I too am in the cheese lover category and this recipe looks like a winner.

    I definitely will be trying this.

  30. Bonnie says

    Awesome post! I too am tired of paying huge amounts for something I can do myself with the right tools. I was going to start with Mozzarella and Ricotta but I happen to have some cream and lemons…..hmmm……Thanks for the post!

  33. Victoria says

    Wow! Thanks so much for sharing! I feel the exact same way about Mascarpone, delicious but too expensive to buy regularly. I can’t wait to try this!

  34. Jen @ Tiny Urban Kitchen says

    I cannot believe how easy this is! I think I have all the ingredients at home already. Wow, thanks for sharing this neat recipe. Looking forward to other posts in your cheese series. 🙂

  35. Barbara @ VinoLuciStyle says

    I’ve developed a penchant for Mascarpone but not for the price; so this is a must do on my list. Uncovering the secret (?) to making it for us is so appreciated. Who knew it was so easy?

    And I love that you showed pronunciation. How did MAS CAR PONE become MARS CA PONE anyhow…and I mean I see chefs all over the place pronounce it incorrectly!

  36. marissa says

    This is not good for me…not good at all. I wish I could say I’m not gonna do it, but. But I totally am. Oh, Dear.

  37. Sandy says

    I loved the idea of making yummy mascarpone. But this didn’t work out for me.

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