Many people do not assume that Italian mascarpone cheese can be prepared without much effort and with minimal material investment with your own hands. You will want to use the resulting product in home cooking again and again, enjoying the amazing taste of dishes in the Italian style.
Mascarpone cheese - what is it?
When wondering: what kind of cheese is mascarpone, what are its taste and nutritional properties, you just need to familiarize yourself with the basic technique of preparing the product in order to understand its essence, texture and scope.
- Mascarpone cream cheese is made by artificially or naturally coagulating the milk protein found in dairy products, often adding acidic ingredients and heating to complete the process.
- After separating the whey, the desired creamy texture is obtained.
- Creamy mascarpone cheese is striking in its versatility and can be used both to decorate desserts and to add a completely new flavor charm to savory snack dishes.
Mascarpone cheese - recipes
Studying popular and affordable options for making mascarpone cheese, the simplicity of the technology and its brevity compared to methods for producing other cheese varieties becomes obvious.
- The basic classic basis for making soft cheese is cream with an average percentage of fat content, which is acidified with lemon juice or other acid-containing components to coagulate the milk protein.
- As an alternative to cream, sour cream, kefir, milk or a mixture of several types of dairy products are often used.
- After briefly heating and cooling the milk base, it is weighed to separate the whey.
Mascarpone cheese - classic recipe
Tender, soft, and as natural as possible, mascarpone cheese is made from cream with a fat content of 32%. An important point in the cooking process is heating the creamy base to a temperature of 70-80°C. Ideally, you should use a food thermometer or heat the cream until small bubbles appear, but do not let it boil.
Ingredients:
- cream – 1 l;
- lemon juice – 2-3, tbsp. spoons.
Preparation
- The cream is poured into a dry pan, ideally with a thick bottom.
- Heat the creamy base with constant stirring to a temperature of 70-80°C.
- Squeeze the required amount of juice from the lemons, making sure to remove all the seeds from the fresh juice.
- Pour the juice into the cream in a thin stream, continuing to stir for another minute.
- Pour the cream into a colander lined with 10 layers of gauze and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
Mascarpone cheese made from kefir
The easiest and most budget-friendly way to get mascarpone curd cheese requires the use of kefir, the fat content of which should be at least 2.5%. An essential aspect here is the quality and naturalness of the base product, which should not raise doubts. Kefir should be in a bag or tetra pack. Glass containers cannot be used in this case.
Ingredients:
- kefir – 2 l.
Preparation
- Packages with kefir are placed in the freezer and left until completely frozen.
- Cut the packaging, place the frozen blocks in a colander with gauze and leave to thaw and drain the whey.
Mascarpone cheese made from milk
It is quite possible to make soft mascarpone cheese simply from milk. The product should be with maximum fat content, ideally homemade. You can acidify the milk base with a solution of citric acid, for which a teaspoon of the additive is dissolved in two teaspoons of boiled water. If the milk base curdles poorly, add a little more acidic solution and mix. Milk can be combined in equal or arbitrary proportions with sour cream, and the lemon solution can be replaced with lemon juice.
Ingredients:
- milk – 3 l;
- citric acid solution – 3 teaspoons.
Preparation
- The milk is heated with stirring on the stove to 70°C or in short bursts in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. at a power of 400 W.
- Pour the lemon into the heated milk, stir and, if necessary, warm it up a little more.
- Pour the curled base into a colander lined with a thick cloth or gauze folded in 7-10 layers.
- Leave the structure in the refrigerator to drain the whey for several hours or overnight.
Mascarpone cheese made from sour cream
The description of the sour cream recipe will help you prepare equally tasty and tender mascarpone cheese. In this case, the composition is supplemented with milk, instead of which you can use an additional portion of sour cream or add cream of any fat content. The final product will have a soft structure and is suitable for preparing desserts and other dishes.
Ingredients:
- milk – 200 ml;
- sour cream with a fat content of at least 20% - 800 g;
- lemon juice – 2 tbsp. spoons.
Preparation
- Pour milk into the pan, add sour cream.
- Mix the ingredients, place over moderate heat on the stove and heat with stirring to 70°C.
- Pour in lemon juice and continue stirring the mixture for another minute.
- Pour the base into a sieve lined with cloth or gauze folded in 7-10 layers.
- Leave the milk base in the refrigerator to allow the whey to drain for several hours.
How to make mascarpone cheese
If desired and with some diligence, this type of cheese can be made on your own in a regular kitchen. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and not violate the recipe. Then the whole family can enjoy the tenderness of mascarpone cheese.
To work, you will need to purchase the following components of the future cheese:
- cream, fat content not less than 20% in an amount of 1 liter;
- natural lemon juice ─ 3 tbsp. l.
Heat the cream to approximately 80°, add lemon juice. The latter can be replaced with citric acid diluted in water, but this decision can be made as a last resort if lemon could not be found.
Heat the mixture over low heat for 10 minutes. Next, all that remains is to pour the cream onto a linen cloth or gauze, folded into 6 layers, and leave it to strain overnight.
What do you eat mascarpone cheese with?
Considering the fact that mascarpone cheese is a soft curd product of creamy texture with a neutral taste without pronounced sweetness and salt, it is used to create a variety of delicious snack or dessert dishes, and is added when preparing hot dishes.
- Mascarpone goes perfectly with fresh bread or toast, cookies or crackers. It is used in its pure form or supplemented with herbs, garlic, spices for savory snacks, or powdered sugar and vanilla for dessert serving.
- Soft cream cheese is the perfect accompaniment to sponge cakes or cookies when topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar to taste. Sweet fruit dishes with sweetened mascarpone will be equally impressive.
- Mascarpone cheese transforms buffet appetizers with lightly salted fish, seafood, and deli sausages.
What desserts can you make with mascarpone?
Before looking at recipes for desserts with mascarpone cheese, let’s define what mascarpone is.
In fact, mascarpone is just thickened cream. Mascarpone cheese has a slightly thinner consistency than butter. Mascarpone cheese is prepared using citric or tartaric acid. The process of making cheese is so simple that you can make mascarpone at home.
Real mascarpone should have a very smooth texture, without lumps or graininess. The taste of the cheese should be milky-sweet (sometimes with a hint of spice).
Ready mascarpone should be stored in the refrigerator in an open container.
Mascarpone cheese's closest cousins are creamy ricotta cheese and cottage cheese.
As a rule, mascarpone cheese can be used to prepare both savory and sweet dishes. It mixes well with savory sauces, adding rich flavor to the dish. Mascarpone can also be served with fresh fruit, used in making cheesecakes, used as filling for pies, or prepared amazingly delicious desserts with mascarpone.
If you are preparing a dessert with mascarpone, you can combine the cheese with various ingredients: lemon, lime juice, lemon zest, chopped nuts, dried fruits, etc.
In addition, mascarpone is the main ingredient in the Italian dessert tiramisu. However, in some cases it can still be replaced with another ingredient. How to replace mascarpone in tiramisu? Some tiramisu recipes contain cream cheese as the main ingredient.
What other desserts with mascarpone are there? The most common desserts with mascarpone include:
- strawberry or chocolate pie with mascarpone
— lemon cake with mascarpone cheese
- honey dessert with fruit and mascarpone cheese
— chocolate truffles with mascarpone, etc.
Dishes with mascarpone cheese
When mascarpone cheese is waiting for its fate in the refrigerator, what to cook with it quickly and tasty is the main question that worries the housewife at the moment.
- Mascarpone cream cheese is the main ingredient in the cream when preparing tiramisu, cheesecake, and other desserts. You can use it to make a delicious dressing or layer for a sweet fruit salad, or add it to a cocktail or ice cream.
- Mascarpone will transform non-sweet canapes, sandwiches or toast if you mix it to taste with garlic, herbs, seasonings or spices. They spread it on the surface of sandwiches or squeeze out portions of cheese cream for a snack using a pastry bag.
- They make pizza with mascarpone, add it to pasta, when baking chicken and other meat in the oven, and use it to prepare a delicate creamy sauce.
- Soft cheese is added to salads as a component of a dressing or a cheese layer when layering appetizers.
Chicken with mascarpone cheese
Having prepared mascarpone cheese at home without much labor, you can effectively and tasty use the product in the family menu. There is nothing easier than delighting your family with an amazing dinner by baking chicken breasts with thick cheese sauce. Instead of tomatoes, you can use fried mushrooms and onions.
Ingredients:
- chicken breasts – 2 pcs.;
- tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
- mascarpone – 4 tbsp. spoons;
- oil – 50 ml;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- rosemary, basil, thyme - a pinch;
- salt pepper.
Preparation
- Rub the chicken on all sides with salt, pepper, and vegetable oil.
- The top of the breast is cut across at intervals of 1 cm.
- Mix cheese with dry herbs, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.
- Place the breasts in portioned foil envelopes.
- Fill the slits with the cheese mixture and cover with chopped tomatoes.
- Spread the rest of the cheese on top and bake the bird for 30 minutes. at 180°C.
Macaroni and mascarpone cheese
Studying in detail where mascarpone cheese is added, attention is drawn to options for preparing pasta with a similar additive. With minimal time and labor input from the hostess, the result will be a restaurant-quality dish that can only be effectively served on a heated plate with grated cheese and herbs.
Ingredients:
- bacon or ham – 250-300 g;
- pasta – 450 g;
- mascarpone – 200 g;
- cream – 1 tbsp;
- oil – 50 ml;
- garlic – 2-3 cloves;
- leek – 2 pcs.;
- Italian herbs - to taste;
- salt, pepper, herbs, parmesan.
Preparation
- Sliced ham and leek are fried separately in oil and combined in one container.
- Add cream, add cheese, add garlic and all seasonings.
- Add boiled pasta to the sauce, heat for a minute, serve with grated Parmesan and herbs.
Salad with mascarpone cheese
For dessert, you can make a light, at the same time nutritious and incredibly tasty salad with mascarpone cheese, the recipe of which requires a combination of the product with fresh or canned fruit. Fresh sliced pineapple can be replaced with canned food; you can also use slices of peaches and sweet pears.
Ingredients:
- pineapple – 0.5 pcs.;
- kiwi – 2 pcs.;
- banana – 1 pc.;
- cream – 150 ml;
- mascarpone – 250 g;
- jam – 4 tbsp. spoons;
- powdered sugar – 2 tbsp. spoons.
Preparation
- Cut peeled pineapple, kiwi, and banana into small slices.
- Beat chilled cream until stiff.
- Mix mascarpone with powder and add in portions to the creamy base, stirring each time until smooth.
- Pineapples and kiwi banana are placed in layers in ice cream bowls, covering the layers with cheese cream and adding jam.
Pizza with mascarpone cheese
For those who prefer to experiment with options for making homemade pizza, the recipe with mascarpone cheese will be a real find. The appetizer will turn out juicy and appetizing with absolutely any filling: sausages, seafood, assorted vegetables, fresh or lightly salted fish, mushrooms.
Ingredients:
- flour – 0.5 kg;
- water – 1 tbsp.;
- yeast – 25 g;
- sugar – 1 tbsp. spoon;
- oil – 3 tbsp. spoons;
- salt – 1 teaspoon;
- tomato sauce – 2 tbsp. spoons;
- oregano and basil - a pinch each;
- ham or fish (seafood) – 250 g;
- mozzarella and mascarpone - 200 g each.
Preparation
- Sugar and yeast are dissolved in water.
- Stir in salt, butter and flour and let the dough rise twice.
- Roll out the base, brush with sauce, sprinkle with herbs.
- The filling components (ham or fish, seafood), mozalenna and mascarpone are laid out on top.
- Place the pizza in an oven preheated to 190°C for 15 minutes.
Cheesecake with mascarpone cheese
A win-win solution for decorating a sweet table would be a dessert with mascarpone cheese, such as cheesecake. In this case, the cake is based on a layer of crushed shortbread cookies and butter, instead of which you can use a classic or chocolate sponge cake no more than 1.5 cm thick.
Ingredients:
- mascarpone – 500 g;
- cream – 400 ml;
- eggs – 3 pcs.;
- powdered sugar – 180 g;
- shortbread cookies – 250 g;
- butter – 100 g;
- vanilla, lemon zest.
Preparation
- Grind the cookies, mix with melted butter, compact in a layer in the mold.
- Place the base in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10 minutes and cool.
- Add eggs, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream one at a time into the cream cheese and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Pour the cream onto the cake, bake the dessert for an hour, pouring water into a baking tray, and then leave it to cool in the oven.
Ice cream with mascarpone cheese
If you mix sweetened mascarpone cheese cream in the right proportions with yolks, milk and cognac, and then freeze the base in a freezer, you will get amazing-tasting ice cream. This option is somewhat improved and involves additional heating of the mass, through which the alcohol evaporates, and the yolks undergo heat treatment and become completely safe.
Ingredients:
- mascarpone – 500 g;
- milk – 200 ml;
- yolks – 4 pcs.;
- sugar – 100 g;
- cognac – 2 tbsp. spoons.
Preparation
- The yolks are ground with sugar until white.
- Add cheese and cognac, and then warmed milk, continuing to whisk.
- Heat the mass while stirring until it thickens, pour it into a container and send it to the chamber for 5 hours.
- Every hour the mixture must be beaten for three minutes.
What to cook with mascarpone
Mascarpone – creamy tenderness, plastic softness and “intangible” airiness in one box of Italian cheese.
This cheese is prepared by adding starter to the cream skimmed from cow's milk during the production of Parmesan. The cream is heated to 75-90 °C and lemon juice or white wine vinegar is added to begin the curdling process. Mascarpone contains more than 50% fat in its dry residue and has a creamy consistency, making it ideal for desserts.
Amazing taste qualities make mascarpone a universal product for preparing both hearty main dishes and delicious desserts.
Let’s be curious about what interesting things can be made from mascarpone without spending most of the day in the kitchen.
Chicken baked with mascarpone
Ingredients:
- Chicken – 2 pcs.
- Mascarpone cheese – 100 gr.
- Lemon – 2 pcs.
- Olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- Fresh rosemary – 3-4 sprigs
- Salt, ground black pepper - to taste.
Wash the chickens thoroughly, pat dry with paper towels and cut along the breastbone. Wash the rosemary, chop the leaves, mix with mascarpone, salt and pepper. Use a thin sharp knife to make cuts in the skin of the chickens, brush with the mascarpone mixture, trying to fill the resulting holes. Fry the chickens in hot oil for 4-5 minutes on each side, place in a baking dish and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 20 minutes. Squeeze the juice from the lemons, pour into the pan in which the chicken was fried, add the remaining mascarpone and simmer over low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes. Serve the chickens with a generous amount of sauce.
Red fish and mascarpone rolls
Ingredients:
- Lightly salted salmon/trout – 200 gr.
- Mascarpone cheese – 200 gr.
- Lemon – 1/2 pcs.
- Parsley – 1/2 bunch
- Ground black pepper - to taste
Cut the fish into thin slices, squeeze the juice from the lemon, mix the mascarpone with chopped parsley. Sprinkle the fish pieces with lemon juice, place mascarpone on the wide side, and roll up.
Pasta with mascarpone and smoked salmon
Ingredients:
- Paste (bows, spirals) – 300 gr.
- Smoked salmon – 250 gr.
- Mascarpone cheese – 150 gr.
- Butter – 1 tbsp. l.
- Sour cream – 100 gr.
- Dijon mustard – 1 tbsp. l.
- Orange – 1 pc.
- Shallots – 3 pcs.
- Greens optional
- Salt, ground black pepper - to taste.
Boil the pasta according to the directions on the package, at the same time fry the chopped shallots in oil, add the mascarpone, stir and heat thoroughly. Add sour cream and mustard, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Wash the orange thoroughly, use a special grater to prepare the zest, and squeeze the juice out of the orange. Add the juice and zest, salt and pepper to the mascarpone, stir thoroughly and cook for 4-5 minutes. Break the salmon into pieces and remove the bones. Drain the pasta, add the pasta to the sauce, stir and add the fish. Serve immediately with greens.
Eclairs “Lighter than Easy”
Ingredients:
- Mascarpone cheese – 500 gr.
- Egg – 4 pcs.
- Milk – 125 gr.
- Butter – 100 gr.
- Condensed milk – 150 gr.
- Wheat flour – 150 gr.
- Water – 125 gr.
- Salt – a pinch.
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, combine water, milk, butter and salt. Bring to a boil, stir vigorously. Quickly add flour (pre-sifted) and mix vigorously. Reduce heat, stirring constantly, until the dough reaches a thick consistency. Remove from heat, cool the dough until warm, add the eggs one at a time, kneading the dough thoroughly each time. The result will be a smooth and shiny, very plastic dough of medium thickness. Using a culinary syringe or bag, place pieces of dough on baking parchment, leaving gaps between profiteroles. Bake in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for 25 minutes, reduce heat to 150-160 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Cool the eclairs, mix mascarpone with condensed milk, add chopped nuts or chocolate if desired, and carefully fill the profiteroles with cream. Place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Cheesecake with mascarpone
Ingredients:
- Butter – 125 gr.
- Mascarpone cheese – 500 gr.
- Sour cream 30% – 200 gr.
- Egg – 3 pcs.
- Jubilee cookies – 2 cups
- Sugar – 1 glass
- Vanilla sugar – 5 gr.
- Ground cinnamon – 1/2 tsp.
Grind the cookies using a blender or rolling pin into fine crumbs, mix with butter and cinnamon, mix well. Grease a round mold with butter, place the cookies and press, spreading them over the bottom and forming sides along the edges of the mold (height 3 cm). Mix mascarpone with sugar, add eggs, vanilla sugar and sour cream one at a time, beat thoroughly. Wrap the pan with the base tightly in foil and place it in a large container with boiling water so that the water level is in the middle of the baking pan. Pour the cream onto the base and carefully place in the oven preheated to 170 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake for an hour. Once cooled, transfer the cheesecake pan to the refrigerator overnight. Serve garnished with cinnamon cocoa or melted chocolate.
Light desserts prepared using mascarpone will be an excellent end to any holiday meal. Birthdays, Men's and Women's Days, and, of course, New Year's Eve will not be complete without amazing Italian-style dishes.
Rolls with mascarpone
Ingredients:
- Baked milk – 200 gr.
- Butter – 30 gr.
- Mascarpone cheese – 250 gr.
- Egg – 1 pc.
- Wheat flour – 100 gr.
- Sugar – 2 tbsp. l.
- Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp. l.
- Orange – 1 pc.
- Apple – 1 pc.
Mix milk, egg, sugar, flour and cocoa, prepare thin pancakes by frying on both sides and brushing with butter. Peel the orange, remove the partitions, chop the pulp. Peel the apple, cut into thin slices, then into long pieces. Place mascarpone on each pancake, level with a wide knife or spatula, place fruit and roll into a tight roll. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Using a sharp knife, cut crosswise and serve with vanilla or chocolate sauce.
Millefeuille with mascarpone
Ingredients:
- Puff pastry without yeast – 100 g.
- Mascarpone cheese – 125 gr.
- Cream 35% – 125 gr.
- Sugar – 100 gr.
- Yolk – 5 pcs.
- Gelatin – 7 gr.
- Rum / cognac – 15 gr.
- Berries - for decoration.
Defrost the dough, cut into 9x9 cm squares and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 12-15 minutes. In a small saucepan, mix sugar with 3 tablespoons of water and boil. Beat the yolks to a fluffy foam, carefully pour in the hot syrup, constantly whisking. Pour alcohol over gelatin and heat slightly. Whip the cream into a strong foam, combine with mascarpone, gelatin and yolks. Cool for 20-25 minutes in the refrigerator. Divide the cooled cakes into several layers, generously coat with cream, and place on top of each other. Garnish with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
Semifreddo with mascarpone and chocolate
Ingredients:
- Mascarpone cheese – 200 gr.
- Milk – 1/2 cup
- Sour cream 18% – 250 gr.
- Biscuit cookies – 10 pcs.
- Powdered sugar – 100 gr.
- Chocolate – 70 gr.
In a large container, mix crushed cookies and chocolate, mascarpone, milk, powdered sugar and sour cream. Beat with a mixer for 1 minute. Line a small pan with extra foil, place the resulting mass, level it and cover with foil. Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours. An hour before serving, transfer to the refrigerator and serve, topped with chocolate or berry syrup.
Unusual ideas for deciding what to make with mascarpone, classic and not quite tiramisu recipes can be found in our “Recipes” section.
Author: Victoria N. (especially for) Copying this article in whole or in part is prohibited.
What can you replace mascarpone cheese with?
In culinary practice, it will be useful to know what cheese can be replaced with mascarpone so that the taste of familiar dishes is as close as possible to the original.
- An alternative to mascarpone can be Philadelphia or any other cream cheese without additives or with appropriate fillers.
- For desserts, you can mix condensed milk with a packet of dry pudding powder, then let the mixture sit in the cold.
