Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

It's time again for What's Baking, a monthly baking group. This month's host is Brownies and Blondies, and the theme she chose is "Convenience from Scratch" — we had to make an item that one would normally purchase that can be used in a baking recipe.

I've had a recipe pinned for quite some time that fits that description perfectly: making mascarpone cheese at home. I love mascarpone cheese. I've chosen recipes, both sweet and savory, simply because they include mascarpone.

Mascarpone is an Italian cow's milk cheese made from cream. It's a "fresh" cheese, meaning it is not aged. It has a very mild, slightly sweet flavor.

What can you do with homemade mascarpone? Probably the most obvious answer is, make tiramisu. Other sweet options include cheesecake, use it to fill profiteroles, or use it as a substitute in any recipe that calls for cream cheese. And finally, I use sweetened whipped mascarpone as a filling for cannolis, dipping the ends in mini chocolate chips and dusting with sifted powdered sugar.

Homemade mascarpone has a slightly more prominent citrus-y flavor than store-bought (which makes it even more delicious when spread on a baguette slice), but once incorporated into a recipe and baked, it won't be noticeable.

Store-bought mascarpone and a pint of heavy whipping cream cost about the same, so there's no significant savings in making mascarpone at home. But there is a great sense of accomplishment! Look, I made cheese!