2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Mascarpone - the invariable ingredient for the favorite of many of us Tiramisu. Strange or not, although it is a cheese, mascarpone is used mainly in desserts and especially in creams and mousses. And this is no accident, this Italian cheese does not have a hard texture, but a soft and creamy structure, which is so conducive to delicious desserts.
Mascarpone and a native Italian specialty, invented at an unknown time in the Lombardy region. It was once known as Mascarpa, which means a by-product extracted from whey in the preparation of typical hard Italian cheeses. The word mascarpone itself can be translated as "towel with grease" or "greasy towel".
If you are wondering why, know that mascarpone has the consistency of cottage cheese, but without its characteristic granular structure. This is due to the high percentage of fat in this cheese. Mascarpone was once associated with a type of yogurt because it uses natural vegetable fat extracted from the seeds of the tamarind tree.
Mascarpone has a soft and fresh texture, white to creamy yellowish color and elastic structure. Although in production, this unique product is more like yogurt, mascarpone remains with the hard definition - Italian cow's cheese, high fat - 75%.
In appearance, mascarpone is a fresh, soft, white or straw yellow cheese that has a very compact structure, but is elastic and suitable for spreading.
Composition of mascarpone
In 100 gr mascarpone contains: 428 kcal calories, 46 g fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 7 g protein.
Selection and storage of mascarpone
Fortunately for the native consumer and connoisseur of good Italian cheeses, mascarpone for years it can be freely found in large and small stores. It is most often available in packages of 500 g, which is absolutely enough for the preparation of some of your favorite desserts.
The only marker that can tell you that you are buying a quality product is the price and expiration date. It is good to use the cheese soon after opening the package, but in the refrigerator it lasts for several days. By our standards, its price is not very cheap.
That's why we often try to replace it with a "more cost-effective" equivalent, such as cottage cheese and cream cheese. Of course, their taste has little to do with the original and quality Italian cheese from the Lombardy region.
Culinary application of mascarpone
Mascarpone has a soft buttery characteristic taste, and its elastic texture makes it very suitable for spreading. Combined with just sugar, you can get a superb cream for your cake or pastry. You can eat it just in combination with biscuits, cookies and sweets or put it in your breakfast with a little muesli and dried fruit. Everything that is made with soft cheeses can also be made with mascarpone - sauces, fillings, etc. You can also easily make mascarpone ice cream or cheesecake.
Mascarpone goes well with the taste of espresso and coffee in general, with various fruits, and in combination with cognac, rum or dessert wine and a real delight for the senses. Quite often its taste is combined with light beer. Making Mascarpone cream is as easy as child's play.
Recipe for Mascarpone Cream
Necessary products: mascarpone - 300 g, eggs - 3 pieces, sugar - 3 tablespoons, wine - 3 tablespoons. Marsala or rum
Preparation: Beat the yolks with the sugar until a fluffy cream is obtained. If you have doubts about the origin of the eggs, you can do this in a bowl of a water bath, but you must be careful not to cook the eggs and disturb their smooth texture. Beat the egg whites separately on hard snow and mix them carefully with the egg whites. Stir slowly and add the mascarpone in portions. Finally add the aroma of Marsala or rum. If possible, serve Mascarpone Cream with biscuits or drunk plums (Vin Cotto con le Prugne).
Homemade mascarpone
Necessary products: liquid cream - 125 ml, fresh milk - 250 milliliters (3%), lemon juice - 1 tsp, Handy materials: thermometer, sieve, cotton cloth
Mix the liquid cream with the milk and pour into a saucepan. Heat gradually and stir constantly. When the temperature reaches 85 degrees, remove the pan from the heat. With constant stirring, gradually add the lemon juice. At this time, the temperature of the cream will be 82 degrees and the pot will return to the hob. Stir constantly, the temperature is between 82 and 84 degrees. The spoon should be removed from time to time to see the structure of the finished product.
If the spoon is almost clean when removed, with small dense spills, heating continues. Mascarpone is ready when, when removed, the spoon is tightly wrapped in the cream liquid and when the spoon is upright, the liquid remains on it. Then remove the pan from the heat and cool to 50 degrees with constant stirring.
Mascarpone is poured into a colander covered with a cotton cloth. Once drained, the cotton fabric is tied and the liquid must be drained completely. The drained thick mixture is returned to the colander and pressed with some weight (500 g) - a package of beans. Leave in the refrigerator for 10 hours. After a few hours, remove the mascarpone and mix gently.
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Culinary Application Of Mascarpone
Mascarpone cheese, which is becoming increasingly popular in our country, is a soft cream cheese of buffalo or cow's milk. It has a pleasant creamy texture and a very delicate taste. According to the Italians, this cheese is perfect for preparing various types of desserts.
Mascarpone Or Mozzarella? What Do You Prefer?
Soft fresh cheeses are immature and perishable cheeses. Most are made from cow's milk. The curd - a milk product of the low or medium fat cheese type and a grainy consistency. It is prepared with lactic acid yeast, which gives it a fresh, slightly sharp taste.
Dessert Creams With Mascarpone
Here are some recipes for desserts with mascarpone. Most of them are very easy to prepare and literally in a few minutes. This makes them suitable for unforeseen guests. You can replace some of the products - for example in blueberry cream, you can add jam as you like, and in orange cream you can replace the fruit with lemon.
How To Make Mascarpone
Prepare yourself mascarpone which is used to make many desserts. You need liquid cream - 125 milliliters, 250 milliliters of high-fat milk, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. You also need a thermometer to measure the temperature of the liquid, but in its absence the temperature regime is selected by eye.
Gorgeous Mascarpone - Eat It, But With One Thing In Mind
The creamy texture of Mascarpone cheese is ideal for side dishes, baked desserts, especially Italian ones like Tiramisu and even for pasta. The palate may want the rich taste of Mascarpone, although it is not recommended to eat it too often.
