Home-made Mascarpone

Mascarpone

At last I've been able to make mascarpone at home. And is it delicious!

It's not difficult to make; the secret lies in heating

the cream to the correct temperature. Try making

it yourself, using this very easy recipe -

You will need-

1. 500 gms. double cream, 2. 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (a little extra may be required),

3. A large piece of cotton cloth, for straining the cheese, 4. A clean bowl, 5. A strainer, and

6. A double boiler or a set of two vessels; one for boiling the water

and the other that can sit over its mouth, without touching the

water; like this-

To proceed-

1. First of all, fill the lower container one-third with water and bring it to a full boil.

2. Next, pour the cream in the sauce-pan, put it on the mouth of the lower

container, lower the flame to medium-high, stir occasionally and heat the

cream till scalding ( do not let it boil).It may take up to 10 minutes or more.

3. At this point add the lemon juice and mix nicely. The cream will start to thicken slightly.

4. Keep stirring,maintaining the same temperature for a further 10

minutes, or maybe more, till the cream thickens. You will be able to feel the difference in cream-thickness if you are stirring constantly. If you feel that the cream is not thickening, add half a teaspoon more of the lime juice

and cook some more. When you notice that it is like thick custard and the ladle is leaving clear streaks, you should know it is done.
Another clear indication is, when you drop a spoonful of the thickened cream back, it does not mingle with the rest but remains in a clear 'bump-and-splash' as in the picture below-

 You will not see any curdling effect as the cream is

not heated to the point where it may curdle.This step is the main trick in the whole procedure. Turn the heat off and let the cream cool down,for half

an hour or so. This is how it looks-

5. When the cream is slightly cool, pour it in a clean bowl, cover with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hrs. The cream sets into cheese as it cools in the fridge.

Leaving it outside encourages bacteria which may spoil the cheese before time.

As it is, it takes a long time to make and has a short shelf-life.

6. After 12 hrs. you will find that the cheese has thickened nicely. Now fold the

cotton-cloth into two, line the strainer with it, put the strainer on the rim of a bowl and pour the cheese into it, like this-

You will find that it resembles 'creme fraiche'. Fold the cloth over the cheese, cover with a lid, cover the whole thing in a plastic wrap or a large polythene bag and put in the fridge for the next 24 hrs., to drain the whey.

7. After 24 hrs., when you open it, you'll see that there isn't much whey in the bowl but the cheese is nicely set and matured.

Your mascarpone cheese is now ready to be used in a 'Tiramisu'or, it can be whipped with a little powdered sugar and vanilla

essence and, used to make fruit-cream! Dellllllicious!!

If you like drier mascarpone, let it keep draining for a few more hours but I

think 24 hrs. is about perfect to give a finished product looking like this-

It's sufficiently dry, has a little moisture, is not crumbly and is very very versatile! Happy eating!