Homemade Mascarpone

I feel weird putting 'cheese' as a label for this one, but that's what it is according to the Italians - an Italian cream cheese from Lombardy.  So here we have my first attempt at making it.  I'll tell you from the get-go that my version turned out a bit well...thinner than I would have liked.  But it is very simple to make, and tastes tangy and creamy and quite moreish.  I figure that since it will melt anyway in dishes like soups and risottos, or be beaten up in cheesecake fillings (clue as to my next blog post - tee hee), that it doesn't really matter too much.  

I came across this recipe in a Cuisine (NZ) magazine a few years ago, and finally I've gotten round to trying it.  This is a microwave version, really simple and quick, though I did leave it in the fridge for a couple of days to thicken up, which they suggest too.  I had to go on a Great Tartaric Acid hunt, as it was not readily found in our nearby supermarkets.  I finally found it in a small, independent grocer in a small country town!  We were out that way, anyway...

ingredients (all two of them) gathered :-) 

Makes about 350g.


ingredients:


600 mLs (25 mLs under 2.5 cups) of pure cream (not thickened)

1/2 tsp tartaric acid


Method:


Pour the cream into a microwave-proof jug

Zap it in the microwave on High for 2 minutes (our microwave is 800W)

Let it stand for two minutes

Scatter the tartaric acid over the surface of the cream, and give it a good stir with a whisk

Back in the microwave for another two minutes on High

Set aside for an hour or two to cool and thicken

Now stir it, and leave to strain through a sieve/strainer which has been lined with a double layer of muslin, into a bowl: put the whole shebang - bowl, sieve and cream mixture - into the fridge to finish straining overnight (oh dear, that sounds a bit rude, doesn't it?)

The next day, spoon it into a container, seal it and use within five days - use it in risottos, soups, cheesecakes, pasta sauce - basically anywhere you want to add a bit of richness to a dish


Notes:


Don't use thickened cream as it has gelatine and/or other thickeners in it which won't work here apparently

You can try this with lemon juice (about 1 hefty tablespoon so about 20 mLs or 4 teaspoons) instead of the tartaric acid

This will thicken more over time, so best to make it a couple of days prior to needing it

I had no muslin so used two brand new, unused Chux wipes

ready for microwaving

pour the cream mixture into the lined sieve 

let it dribble through the muslin or Chux wipes

the last bit of the mixture going through - scrape any extra off with a spatula 

the next day - good-lumpy but not as thick as I'd hoped 

and another day

the second day - and ready to use in various dishes

Wait with bated breath my friends, for my next post, where I use my delicious, homemade mascarpone:-)

 artwork © Sherry's Pickings