Its pronounced "MAHS-CA-PON-AY" (Mascarpone)

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	Mascarpone
Date:	30/06/09 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tasty, delicious, makes a nice change!

Disadvantages: Fattening!

Growing up in an Italian family there was always mascarpone in the fridge. I can't remember there ever not being a tub. Even to this day my mother has a tub of it in the fridge and so do I! I mainly use it with fresh fruit or with a dessert but it certainly has many more uses than that!

Mascarpone is Italy's most luxurious fresh cheese mascarpone. It is a soft, buttery cow's milk variety of double- to triple-cream status. With a milk fat content of 60 to 75%, the ivory-colored cheese is delicate in flavor and extra creamy in texture. Rich, supple and almost decadent, it can be easily spread onto fruits, breads and crackers, or deliciously mixed into some of Italy's best recipes, including risotto, lasagna, cannoli and tiramisu. Or like me you can just eat it on its own with a spoon!

*~*~* Mascarpone History *~*~*

Hailing from Italy's Lombardy region, it's believed that mascarpone was first made in an area southwest of Milan sometime around the late 16th or early 17th century. But many theories exist as to how the exquisite cheese got its name. According to culinary experts, the cheese's original name was "mascherpone," a moniker derived from "Cascina Mascherpa," a family farmhouse that was once located between Milan and Pavia.

*~*~* Making Mascarpone *~*~*

Although mascarpone is often described as a curd cheese, it's "technically" not a cheese at all. It's actually made in much the same manner as a yogurt, with a culture.

To produce mascarpone, cream is skimmed off the top of standing milk and poured into metal containers. Once heated to 85ºC, the cream is soured with tartaric acid, a natural acid derived from the tamarind tree. The mixture is then allowed to rest in special containers or cloth bags to drain off the whey. Within 24 hours, the cream mixture thickens and becomes very dense. Unlike many other cheeses, mascarpone is not aged and it's generally sold right after production.

Mascarpone's cream base is traditionally skimmed from the cows' milk used to make Parmesan. These cows are fed a special diet of grasses, herbs and flowers, which ultimately gives mascarpone its wonderfully milky fresh flavor and aroma.

*~*~* Buying and Storing Mascarpone *~*~*

Mascarpone has suddenly become quite popular as an alternative dairy product. Originally my mother used to have to visit an Italian delicatessen to buy it! It is now available in most larger supermarkets. Some harder-to-find mascarpone varieties are made from water buffalo milk or flavored with coffee or fruits. In the UK the cheese is sold in plastic tubs, but in Italy, it's lovingly wrapped in cheesecloth. Keep in mind that mascarpone is generally more expensive than other cream cheeses - and absolutely worth it.

Once purchased, mascarpone should be promptly refrigerated and enjoyed within one week. Once opened you will need to consume it within about 3 days.

*~*~* Serving *~*~*

So delicate and creamy, mascarpone needs little garnishing to be fully enjoyed. Take pleasure in a mascarpone dessert topped with sliced strawberries and chocolate shavings. For a sweet surprise, simply mix it into your hot cocoa and coffee instead of cream. For more savory preparations, spoon mascarpone onto hot pasta tossed with sautéed mushrooms and grated Parmesan. Or mix it with chopped herbs and spices and enjoy with toasted baguettes. In Italy's Friuli region, mascarpone is most famously mixed with anchovies, mustard and spices and spread onto bread.

*~*~* Recipe *~*~*

Mascarpone Pears

2 Ripe Pears, halved and core removed with spoon
1 Vanilla Pod
1 Tablespoon Sugar
150 ml Amaretto Liqueur, plus a little more
200 g Mascarpone
1 1/2 Tablespoons Icing Sugar
100 gm unsalted Butter
100 gm Caster Sugar
60 gm plain Flour
1 Egg
100 gm whole Almonds, coarsely ground in processor
8 Amoretti Cookie Crumbs

1. To make almond cream Beat butter and sugar together until combined, add flour and egg until combined.
2. Beat in almonds, stir in 3/4 of crushed biscuits. Pack 1 tablespoon of almond cream into the cored out section of each pear half.
3. Split the vanilla pod in half, scrape out seeds and mix with sugar. Chop vanilla pod into large pieces.
4. Place pears into baking dish, sprinkle over vanilla sugar, remaining biscuits, vanilla pod pieces and drizzle with amaretto.
5. Bake in over at 200C for 10 minutes or until pears are cooked. Mix together mascarpone and icing sugar.
6. Remove pears from oven and transfer to serving plates. Drizzle a little extra amaretto into baking dish and stir pan juices.
7. Serve pan with sweetened mascarpone and the amaretto pan juices.

*~*~* My Opinion *~*~*

My fridge is never without a tub of mascarpone! I eat it all the time (even though I probably shouldn't because it's quite fattening!), mostly with a lot of fresh fruit. I do however if I'm having guests use is in bruschetta with mixed herbs to create a dish which is quite light but tasty. Now that the summer is coming it's a great alternative to cream or ice cream as even though its mostly cream based it isn't heavy and doesn't have that overly sweet taste. I would recommend this to all but maybe not to people currently on a diet!

Summary: Ideal for something lighter in the summer