Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a tender, exceptionally creamy Italian cheese native to the Lombardy region, which technically is not quite a cheese but rather thickened cream. It is made from high-fat cream, which is heated and coagulated with an acid (lemon juice or tartaric acid), without the addition of cultures or rennet.

The result is a thick, smooth, silky mass of ivory colour with a delicate, slightly sweetish creamy flavour and a high fat content. Mascarpone has no pronounced cheesy tang, so it suits sweet and savoury dishes equally well. Its best-known use is, of course, the classic Italian dessert tiramisu, whose creamy base is unthinkable without mascarpone. It is also widely used in other desserts: cheesecakes, creams, mousses, and pastry fillings, and combined with fruit and berries. In savoury cookery mascarpone is added to risotto and pastas for creaminess, and to sauces, spreads, and soups. Because of its tenderness and high fat content it is usually not subjected to strong heating. Mascarpone is the embodiment of creamy luxury, an indispensable ingredient of Italian confectionery and cuisine in general.