I don't know where you guys buy it, but for little ol' me here in Western Canada, mascarpone is about $10 for a 500g tub. Ouch. So here's a fabulous deal... recipe! Now you can make Karen's fabulous Tirimasu without breaking the bank.


Mascarpone Homemade
Description: "homemade super creamy cheese"
Yield: "1 pound"

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 liter Whipping Cream 35%
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice -- strained
strainer or colander
cheesecloth

NOTES : Can use 1 T white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice (per Nick Malgieri in Cooking For The Weekend) or up to 4 t cream of tartar (1 Cup Whipping Cream to 1 teaspoon CoT, per The Great Holiday Baking Book).

Simple Instructions (for 1 Cup Whipping Cream/1 t Cream Of Tartar; scale accordingly):
In a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the cream to scalding (200 F.) or until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the saucepan. Stir in the cream of tartar. Cover and cool to room temperature. The cream will set. Turn into a strainer that is lined with at least 4 layers of cheesecloth. Place over a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for one to two days or until the cheese feels firm to the touch. It is now ready to use. This will keep 5 to 7 days, tightly covered. Makes about 1 cup.

Slightly more complex instructions but basically the same thing:
Choose a stainless-steel bowl with a lip that fits on the rim of a arge saucepan so that the bottom does not touch the bottom of the pan. Add water to the pan and place the bowl in the pan so that the bowl touches the surface of the water but the lip still sits firmly on the rim of the pan. Remove the bowl, place the pan on medium heat, and bring the water to a boil. Pour the cream into the bowl and set the bowl over the boiling
water. Lower the heat under the pan to medium and warm the cream, stirring it occasionally and checking the temperature often with an instant-reading thermometer, until it reaches 190 F. Stir in the vinegar and continue o stir gently until the cream begins to curdle. Remove the pan from the heat, cover the bowl, and allow the curds to firm up for 10 minutes. Line a strainer or colander with a piece of dampened butter muslin or several thicknesses of dmmpened cheesecloth. Set the strainer over a bowl and gently spoon the curds into the strainer. Let the mascarpone cool to room temperature, cover the strainer tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the cheese to finish draining and become firm. Transfer the cheese from the strainer to a tightly covered container and refrigerate. The mascarpone should be used within 3 to 4 days. Makes about 1 lb.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 3472 Calories; 372g Fat (94.4% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 1378mg Cholesterol; 376mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Fruit.