The name of this product alone evokes strong emotions among gourmets. Mascarpone cheese - amazing, tender, creamy! It is difficult to confuse or replace it with anything. "What is it and what is it eaten with?" - you ask? It turns out that everything is simple to genius.
Pride of the Alpine region
Mascarpone is a visiting card and pride Italian region Lombardy. This is the most delicate mass, which is obtained from the milk or cream of buffaloes of a special local breed. But since their livestock is not so numerous, fatty cow's milk is also used for manufacturing. True, not every cow is awarded such an honor, but only the one that is fed with fragrant alpine herbs. The technology for preparing the product is quite simple. The cream is slowly heated to a temperature of 75-90 degrees. To roll into a mass, you need to add either a little white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
Application area
So what is mascarpone? figured it out. Where is this precious product, which appeared on our shelves not so long ago, used? The first thing that comes to mind is the fantastic tiramisu cake or similar desserts. However, the use of mascarpone is not limited to these dishes. Its creamy consistency has an indescribable taste, with its presence mascarpone cheese ennobles every cooking masterpiece. Cakes, appetizers, main courses, mousses, salty pastries, tortelli, ravioli and creamy sauces “sound” completely different with it.
Mascarpone Cheese: Cooking Yourself
Today it will not be difficult to buy any product that you can wish for. Mascarpone is no exception. The only thing that can scare away the consumer is its rather high price. But if you want to try the legendary Lombard cheese, you can try making it yourself. It is possible and experienced chef, and newbie. So, we take one liter of cream with a fat content of at least 33%. We heat them to the required temperature in a water bath. Stirring occasionally, add two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. We warm up for another ten minutes - during this time the mass begins to thicken. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let cool at room temperature. Pour the cold cheese mixture into a colander lined with several layers of gauze. When the serum drains a little, tie the ends of the gauze with a bag and hang it for 10-12 hours. Mascarpone cheese is ready. From a liter heavy cream about half a kilogram of product will come out. Store it in a closed container in the refrigerator.
Using homemade mascarpone
Homemade cheese, like store-bought, can be used instead of butter - just spread it on bread and enjoy the taste. Or mix with nuts, berries, fruits. By adding sugar, vanillin and cream to the mass, you can use it to decorate biscuit cakes. And if you spread salmon slices with mascarpone, add cucumber and green onion, then you will succeed great snack. The fish can be rolled up and cut into portioned pieces. Undoubtedly, mascarpone is one of the best inventions humanity. Don't believe? Try it and see for yourself!
Able to add flavor and velvety to vegetable puree soups. Broccoli soup and spinach soup bright soup with spicy smoky flavor roasted peppers, fusion carrot soup with curry - that's far from full list first courses in which you should put mascarpone.
Typical Italian - roasted tomato soup with mascarpone. To weld two large portions such a soup, you will need a kilogram of cherry tomatoes, half a liter of chicken or vegetable broth, two hundred grams of mascarpone cheese, two tablespoons of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, a little salt and pepper, a spoonful of chopped basil leaves. In an oven preheated to 240 degrees Celsius, you will need to bake tomatoes poured with olive oil, vinegar and sprinkled with spices. Before baking, it is important not to forget to pierce the skin of the tomatoes with the tip of a knife. Heat the broth, put the tomatoes in it and chop with a blender. Add cheese and gently stir the soup again.
Main dishes
The list of recipes for second courses, in which it is proposed to add mascarpone, is so large that you can make a thick one. cookbook. You have to start with various kinds risotto, then to mention various pasta, seafood and finish with snack pancakes.
Hostesses who want to please gourmet guests should try to serve chicken pockets with and mascarpone. Of the two chicken breasts you will get four servings of this dish. Cut each breast in half and make pockets in them. Fry in a wide saucepan with a thick bottom olive oil grated carrots, finely chopped onions, garlic and celery, as soon as the vegetables turn brown, add the peeled shrimp and simmer for a few minutes. From half of the resulting mass, using a blender, make puree. Soak some breadcrumbs, add parsley and chopped shrimp. Fill the chicken pockets with this mixture and seal with a toothpick. Fry in a deep thick-walled pan. Add a glass of white wine, mascarpone and the rest of the shrimp mass. To give the resulting sauce a beautiful shade, you can add a little saffron or a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to it.
Whipped with cream and powdered sugar mascarpone cheese is a great pairing for fresh fruit, chocolate, coffee drinks. Delicate creamy mascarpone is great in cakes and pastries, parfait with this cheese is airy and fragrant. The simplest dessert with mascarpone - a variation of strawberries with cream. Take a quarter kilo of large strawberries, cut in half and put in a bowl, sprinkled with a couple of spoons blackcurrant liqueur. Set aside and get busy. Take the same amount of strawberries, add sugar to it, the same liquor and put in a saucepan on the fire. Cook for five minutes, stirring constantly. Puree strawberries in a blender and refrigerate. Whip mascarpone with heavy cream, add chilled pureed strawberries. Spread the sliced strawberries and cream in layers over the molds. Serve immediately, garnished with a strawberry leaf.
sandwiches
What could be easier than a sandwich? In Italy they are called panini and are made from two pieces. white bread, one hundred grams cream cheese and a few slices fresh tomatoes makes a great Italian sandwich.
Not everyone has tried mascarpone, which is generally known only to those who are really fond of cooking. And even just trying to cook a dish, you can stumble upon incomprehensible ingredients in the recipe. Now everything is simpler, explanations can be found on any thematic resource, but what if the required product is simply not for sale in your city? Or its price makes you look for alternative ways to solve the problem.
Learn to cook
Cooking yourself is much cheaper and more interesting than buying ready-made semi-finished products:
- The cost of products is negligible, if we are not talking about some delicacies.
- The cooking process is fully controlled.
- The composition of the served dish is fully known.
- Cooking takes much less time than it might seem at first glance.
There are no difficulties in the cooking process, you just need to read the recommendations and try several times. The first attempt is not always successful, this applies to all areas of life. The main thing is not to give up even after several failures.
Over time, it becomes clear what exactly was done wrong:
- Turn on the gas when needed and continue cooking over low heat.
- How long does it take to beat and mix the ingredients.
- How long do you need to fry, boil or stew.
- When is the best time to add spices?
This is the case when everything is decided by experience and trial and error. You can’t do without “bruises”, but who will remember a dozen spoiled dishes after hundreds of edible and tasty ones?
How is real Italian cheese made?
Mascarpone is one type of cheese. To make it:
- Fatty cream is taken, not less than 33%.
- Heated in a water bath, tartaric acid is added.
- The liquid contents are decanted.
- The “dry residue” is placed in a cloth bag and hung overnight.
In order not to waste time preparing this cheese, you can simply buy it at the nearest store. If he is there, of course.
If you pay attention to taste and appearance goods, you can immediately begin to suspect something was wrong - more for some curd mass it seems. But don't panic, that's the way it should be.
Mascarpone used as a dessert as part of a more sophisticated dish. So it is better to evaluate the taste qualities after the implementation of the plan and the preparation of the dish.
In our area, cheese has not gained particular popularity. Why overpay when you can take curd mass and cream? A little effort and the result is almost the same, but it’s true that you won’t be able to boast of a delicacy.
Mascarpone: taste
- Melted butter.
- Regular yogurt.
- Cottage cheese with sour cream.
Not all of us are gourmets and not everyone can recognize all the subtleties of the taste of mascarpone. But to catch a couple of points is not so difficult:
- The mass does not taste like cheese at all.
- Not salty.
- Has something in common with dairy products.
Don't expect anything fantastic. palatability, this product is guaranteed not to fall into the top ten of the most delicious thing you have ever tasted in your life.
low calorie butter- such a comparison would be most appropriate.
Mascarpone is neither salty nor sweet at the same time. Because fermented cream will not give any of these tastes, and, judging by the recipes, there are no other additives.
If a person has never tried this type of cheese, one of the “substitutes” (described below) can be served under its guise, most likely no one will feel the difference.
What is a substitute for mascarpone cheese?
If you urgently need to cook a dish and there is mascarpone in the recipe, the easiest way is to visit the supermarket and purchase this cheese. But if the desired product is not on the shelf, you will have to look for alternative.
If you have time, you can make your own prescription. If time is a luxury, then:
- Take regular sour cream the higher the fat content, the better.
- Add sugar or spices, depending on the desired result.
- Use as directed.
Good instead of sour cream cottage cheese with cream :
- Mix in a bowl.
- Pass through a separator.
- Serve on the table.
It is necessary to obtain a kind of curd mass by separating the liquid part. With such substitution options, you will not deceive those who have already tried real mascarpone. But if you add it to the dish - only you will feel the difference real gourmet, and that is not a fact.
More difficult option cooking replacement includes heavy cream, hard cheese and butter. Again - mix up homogeneous mass and separate the liquid part. The selected cheese can give a specific taste finished mass, this issue should be given special attention.
Mascarpone is not some unique product produced by special technology in Italian cellars. The manufacturing procedure is known to everyone and is in the public domain, homemade cheese will be no worse, and maybe better than the purchased option. In any case, it will be clear what it is made of.
Mascarpone - what is it eaten with?
Oddly enough, this cheese can be smeared on bread:
- It is an excellent oil substitute.
- Suitable for those who are trying to lose weight.
- Contains significantly fewer calories than butter.
But it would be strange to limit ourselves to this use case only:
- Together with berries and fruits, this product is suitable as a dessert.
- Mascarpone makes a wonderful sauce.
- Included in tiramisu and cottage cheese casseroles.
- Liqueurs and chocolate will give the cheese a special taste.
Most often this product is used in confectionery business. But then again, in our area they don’t work with this product so often, so really interesting options application is difficult to find. And this should not stop novice confectioners on the path of culinary experiments.
Fermented milk product
Mascarpone is a type of cheese made from cream. This fermented milk product was first born in Italy, hence the exotic name.
Initially, cheese was made according to this scheme:
- Cream defend in milk for 10-12 hours.
- The resulting mass is transferred to linen bags.
- After the same 12 hours, all the "extra" liquid leaves and only the finished product remains.
Today, only cream and citric acid are more often used to speed up and somewhat simplify the whole process. The resulting cheese can be:
- Use to make tiramisu and casseroles.
- Serve as a dessert with fruit, chocolate or liqueurs.
- Spread on bread.
- Apply as a sauce.
All this classic options, but you can try something new, it all depends on your imagination. The taste of mascarpone is most similar to melted butter, yogurt or curd mass. In fact, nothing out of the ordinary, but it feels nice.
If you have ever tried mascarpone, what it is is quite simple to explain. It is enough to compare with ordinary curd mass and all questions will disappear. Is it worth it to overpay for such a dessert, when there are always analogues at hand - too difficult a question.
Video tutorial: making mascarpone at home
In this video, chef Irina Leonidova will show how homemade mascarpone cheese is made, what ingredients, a simple cooking method:
For cheese gourmet there is no more appropriate association with the word "tenderness" than Mascarpone cheese. This soft Italian has won the hearts of many people around the world. And, if you have not had time to try it yet, then after reading our article, you will certainly not remain indifferent to it.
Compared to the ancients, mascarpone is quite young. Although the exact date of his birth is unknown, there is an assumption that cheese appeared at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries. Although some scientists attribute to him an earlier appearance - the XII century. Homeland mascarpone is (Lombardia) - the northern region of Italy, which has a rich agricultural heritage. It's believed that its formula was invented for the utilization of dairy cream, rich in fat and protein, during the late autumn period. This time low temperatures most suitable for storing cheese.
Why does mascarpone bear this particular name? There are several assumptions:
- The first version says that one Spanish nobleman, having tasted the cheese, exclaimed: “Mas que bueno!”, Which in literal translation sounds like “more than good”. This expression gave the name mascarpone.
- According to the second hypothesis, recognized as the most likely, it is believed that the word "mascarpone" is derived from mascarpia, which means in the dialect of the inhabitants of Lombardy. The technologies for obtaining these cheeses are very close.
- The third assumption is that mascarpone was originally called "mascherpa" - this is the term for dairy product produced from whey obtained from stracchino cheeses.
- Journalist Gianni Brera claims that mascarpone was first made on the Cascina Mascherpa farm, located between (Milano) and Pavia (Pavia), from where it got its name.
Napoleon, while in Lodi (Lodi) in 1796, tried mascarpone and was so delighted that he asked him to apply several more times. And after returning to France, he ordered cheese from Italy.
There is an assumption that the famous chef François Vatel committed suicide in desperation due to the fact that mascarpone was not delivered for the preparation of a dessert that he wanted to prepare for the royal table.
How do they do it? Production technology
Currently, mascarpone is produced in various areas Italy. Unlike other cheeses, it is made not from milk, but from cream. To obtain them, milk is left alone at 10-12 degrees for the whole day. During this time, there is a slight fermentation.
The cream is separated from the milk by centrifugation and placed in stainless steel vats. Then they are brought to a temperature of 90-95 degrees and acidified by adding citric or tartaric acid. As a result, protein folding occurs. When the coagulation process is completed, the clot is homogenized and sent to the packaging line. Before the advent of special devices, this stage was performed manually. To drain off the serum, the precipitate was transferred to a cool place on a linen cloth for at least 24 hours.
Warm packaged mascarpone is transferred to the refrigerator room, where, gradually cooling, it acquires the necessary creamy consistency.
Usually mascarpone is produced in plastic containers of different capacities. The volumes of 250 and 500 ml are considered the most purchased.
What to eat and how to cook
Mascarpone is soft cheese milky white color with a delicate texture. The taste is sweetish, oily. Due to its characteristics, this product has proven itself in many recipes. It is used for both sweet and savory dishes.
Mascarpone goes well with anchovies, mustard and hot spices. It contrasts wonderfully with roasted vegetables. A spoonful of cheese can replace sour cream with your favorite soup. Italian chefs use mascarpone for cooking, omelettes and sauces for pasta.
Cheese is consumed on its own in combination with fruit, coffee or white bread. Creams for cakes and pies, puddings and mousses are made from it. The most famous of the desserts, of course, is rightfully considered. Among alcoholic beverages Mascarpone goes well with any liqueur.
Did you know that making mascarpone is so easy that many people make it at home on their own?
Mascarpone at home
To prepare approximately 300 ml of mascarpone you will need:
- 450 ml heavy cream (30%);
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 medium lemon)
- Pot;
- Digital Thermometer;
- Colander and gauze.
Heat the cream in a saucepan to 88 degrees. Add lemon juice and, stirring, do not remove the container from the heat for another 5 minutes. In this case, the temperature should not exceed 90 degrees. Stop heating and let the mass cool down to room temperature(30-45 minutes).
Lay several layers of cheesecloth in a colander and pour over the contents of the pan. Place in refrigerator to drain completely for 8-12 hours. Transfer the resulting mascarpone to Plastic container, and whey you can use for your favorite pastries. Remember to keep home italian cheese need no more than a week.
Calorie content and benefits
The calorie content of 100 g of mascarpone is 455 kcal. It may vary depending on the fat content of the cream used by the manufacturer. The nutritional value Cheese consists of the following components:
- Proteins 7.6 g;
- Fats 47 g;
- Carbohydrates 0.3 g
As can be seen from the balance of ingredients, the calorie content of mascarpone is based mostly on fats. Therefore, do not get involved in people with overweight, hypertension and high cholesterol.
In order to burn the energy received from 100 g of cheese, an adult healthy person it will take approximately 1 hour to go up and down the stairs with a full shopping bag or half an hour to quickly run around the house.
2 tablespoons of mascarpone contain about 40 mg of cholesterol, which is 13% of the daily requirement. Therefore, in healthy diet The daily portion of cheese should not exceed 30 g.
Like other types of cheese mascarpone is a source of protein and calcium, although to a much lesser extent than hard varieties. A serving of the product (30g) provides about 4% of the daily requirement of calcium, which plays an important role in the health of bones, muscles and in the transmission of nerve impulses.
Most cheeses are high in salt, which increases the risk cardiovascular diseases and strokes. The same cannot be said for mascarpone. There is only 1% of the daily sodium requirement in a daily serving. A small amount of salt is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
The main vitamin present in cheese is vitamin A. Its content in a serving of mascarpone is about 700 micrograms (10% DV). It supports eye health, improves skin, teeth and bones.
Tip: to get maximum benefit from mascarpone, look for the product with the lowest fat content!
Price in Italy and Russia
It will not be difficult for you to buy mascarpone in Italy. Due to the widespread production of cheese, you can find it in any grocery store at a price of 4 to 8 Euro per 500 g.
At the moment, Italian mascarpone in Russia is under sanctions, so you will have to be content with Russian or Belarusian products at a price of 360 to 500 rubles per 500 g.
This concludes our acquaintance with the softest cheese in the world. Traveling to Italy to experience real Italian tenderness, isn't it a great idea? Live easily, love sweetly, travel in comfort and remember: “Patience and work will grind everything except mascarpone. There can be no softer cheese!”
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Not everyone fatty cottage cheese boasts such a delicate creamy texture. Here is the Italian cottage cheese Mascarpone is an exception to the rule, created on the basis of heavy cream.
The true home of production tender cheese Mascarpone is the Italian province of Lombardy (more precisely, the southwestern part of Milan). It was here that cheese makers found direct use for the cream that remained after the evening sludge of milk and had to be skimmed off before the well-known extra-hard Parmesan was to be prepared from it. The skimmed cream was fermented with lemon or acetic acid, were heated and this is how the now world-famous mascarpone curd cheese was obtained.
Mascarpone is a soft cheese with a very high fat content, ranging from 60 to 75 percent. The resulting cheese is the main ingredient in well-known Italian recipes such as tiramisu and cheesecakes.
The texture of the cheese ranges from smooth, creamy, without grit, to buttery, depending on how it was prepared. Outwardly, mascarpone looks like well-whipped cream, from which butter should be made.
If the cheese is made in compliance with all standards, then its color should vary from white to cream. The taste should be mild milky with a characteristic fat milk aroma.
By the way, passing the sparing heat treatment, it retains all properties fresh milk, has no preservatives and does not salt at all. Rennet is also not used in production.
Mascarpone cheese composition
Many cheeses that are completely different from cottage cheese cannot boast such fatty oily taste, as well as huge amount beneficial chemicals for the body. This type of cheese contains:
Carbohydrates;
Essential amino acids ( the largest number constitutes the antioxidant tryptophan);
Vitamin A;
B vitamins (in particular, it contains daily rate nicotinic acid);
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
Phylloquinoan (hematopoietic vitamin K);
Such important minerals like potassium, calcium and phosphorus.
The amount of fat in it can reach up to 50 percent, 3 percent protein and 5 percent carbohydrates. With such a fat content, it cannot low-calorie product. Therefore, the calorie content of such a soft cheese delicacy is large enough and amounts to 412 kilocalories per 100 grams of product.
Benefits of mascarpone cheese
The beneficial properties of Italian cream cheese, which is not at all like curd mass, are invaluable.
True, there is a certain list of the most striking qualities, which includes:
- Decrease in the level of increased irritability;
- Normalization of mood (you can avoid sudden changes in it);
- Getting rid of insomnia;
- Effective fight against depression;
- Prevention negative impact on the body of stress;
- Strengthening the immune system;
- Stimulation of active hematopoiesis;
- Defence from negative impact polluted environment;
- Removal of pain in arthritis and arthrosis;
- Strengthening the skeletal system;
- Formation and adjustment of the work of ligaments and muscles;
- Giving elasticity to blood vessels;
- Lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood;
- Strengthening the heart muscle.
Contraindications
Due to its high fat content (despite its exceptional naturalness), mascarpone has quite wide range contraindications for direct use. Among them it is necessary to highlight:
Mascarpone cheese with what to eat and where to use
Mascarpone is the owner of a soft, delicate texture, which is why many chefs call it creamy butter cheese.
Naturally, it can be easily spread on a cake or a piece of bread. They add it to soups, dumplings, risotto, sometimes replacing butter with it in pastries.
Mascarpone cheese can be used:
- In tiramisu or as a filling for desserts such as pies and cheesecake. rich soft creamy taste cheese is important property to prepare these meals.
- In pasta sauces.
- For thickening and adding richness to dishes such as soups or risottos.
- Instead of butter or margarine. The advantage of this substitution is the lower fat content of mascarpone compared to butter or margarine.
- As a dessert, like whipped cream, served with fruits and berries.
- You can freeze it like ice cream by replacing cream in the recipe.
How to make mascarpone cheese at home
Cream is used to make cheese, not milk. This is a cheese that every housewife can make. No special cheese is used for its preparation. rennet extract. All it takes is cream lemon acid or vinegar. But first, let's look at the technology of making cheese in its homeland - Italy.
- Fresh cream;
- They added a certain amount of tartaric acid (or rather, white wine) or lemon juice;
- Then all this mass was heated, but not brought to a boil;
- It was then placed in small linen pouches and hung to allow the serum to drain.
The result was a creamy "cottage cheese" (this is how the word "mascarpone" is translated), which had to be consumed within a maximum of 24 hours.
Today, in dairies, everything is simpler:
- The cream is heated, but not boiled, along with a certain amount of citric acid;
- Serum is drained;
- The resulting curd mass is mixed and packed in vacuum plastic packaging of 80-500 grams.
Homemade cheese production is exactly the same. Cream, where citric acid is added, is heated to a temperature of 85 degrees. At this temperature, they ferment, forming a curd mass. Now you need to separate the curd from the whey. The resulting curd mass in gauze is placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
What to substitute for mascarpone cheese
A similar substitute in recipes for mascarpone cheese can be ricotta cheese, which is made from cow's milk or creamy soft cheese.
How to store mascarpone cheese
Mascarpone cheese is a perishable product. Therefore, you need to store it only in the refrigerator. After opening vacuum packaging it is better to use it right away. Shelf life in the refrigerator is no more than three days. Then the cheese begins to delaminate and deteriorate.
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