Mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone cheese is a triple-cream cheese made from crème fraîche, denatured with tartaric acid. Sometimes buttermilk is added as well, depending on the brand. After denaturation, whey is removed without pressing or aging. One can manufacture mascarpone by using cream, tartaric or citric acid, or even lemon juice. It is an Italian cheese made from milk which has been amended with cream, so that it has a very high butterfat content. The precise texture varies from very soft, like crème fraîche, to more stiff, like butter, depending on how it is handled during the cheese making process.Mascarpone is milky-white in color and is easily spread. When fresh, it smells like milk and cream. It is used in various dishes of the Lombardy region of Italy, where it is a specialty. It is a main ingredient of tiramisu. It is sometimes used instead of butter or Parmesan cheese to thicken and enrich risotto. If you want to make mascarpone at home, you will need a quart of minimally processed cream and a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. You also need cheesecloth, a strainer, a double boiler, and a reliable thermometer. If you do not have a double boiler, you can make one by positioning a metal or heat-proof glass bowl over a saucepan filled with.