Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

Rich, creamy homemade mascarpone cheese with just two ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Pour heavy cream into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring cream to 185 to 190 degrees F (85 to 88 degrees C) over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, maintaining the temperature at 185 to 190 degrees F (85 to 88 degrees C), then turn off the heat. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.

4. Whisk well and let cool for 30 minutes.

5. Transfer into a clean towel-lined strainer. Cover top with plastic wrap, pressing down gently onto the surface of the cream, and let cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes more.

6. Chill in a refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

7. Remove plastic wrap and store in a sealed container or use immediately.

Notes

• Use heavy cream that contains 35%-40% butterfat.
• If not using a thermometer in Step 2, bring the cream to the lowest possible simmer, as in barely any tiny bubbles breaking the surface.
• This is the thick, dense, firm version of mascarpone. Once chilled, it has a slightly grainy appearance on a knife but should be completely smooth on the palate.