Making your own mascarpone is soooo easy...

This week in the kitchen we have made our own mascarpone! Having never made it before, we were curious to give it a go.  Turns out it’s really easy!  We took our amazing Bannister Downs cream and turned it into the dreamiest, creamiest mascarpone we’ve ever tried.  It doesn’t have the ‘cheesy’ rennet tang of commercially produced mascarpone,  but we think it’s pretty fab.

You will need to plan ahead as it needs at least a day to rest and you can certainly buy very good mascarpone in the shops.  You can't buy the oozing satisfaction, though! 

To make about 700g mascarpone….

2 limes – zested and juiced

1 ltr pouring cream [35%]

1 vanilla pod – split and scraped

1 scant tsp citric acid

Bring the lime zest, cream and vanilla to the vigourous boil in a large heavy bottomed saucepan [preferably stainless steel].  

Boil for 5 minutes until the cream separates.

Add the lime juice and the citric acid and bring back to the boil.  

Simmer for 1 minute then remove from the heat.  

Pour the cream through a fine chinois into a bowl.  

Refrigerate until the mixture starts to set  [about 5 hours].

Line a conical sieve with a double layer of wet muslin cloth and place over a large container.  Pour the set cream into the sieve then cover with plastic and let stand in the fridge for about 24 hours to allow the whey to separate from the curd.

Discard the whey and scoop the mascarpone into a clean plastic container.  

It is now ready for use.

NB…This cheese won't have preservatives and will need to be consumed within a few days.

This Saturday our house-made mascarpone will feature in 'piccolo tira mi su' on our high tea dessert plates!!!  Well done Sandro.