Originating in Italy, mascarpone is a mild and creamy fresh cheese with a consistency similar to soft butter or thick crème fraîche and a fat content between 70 and 75 percent. You may know it as the key ingredient in the decadent Italian dessert tiramisu. This recipe hails from Allison Hooper, award-winning cheese maker and co-owner of the notable Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. The overnight process is virtually effortless, and the resulting cheese may very well be the best mascarpone I've ever tasted.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 12 ounces

　　2 cups pasteurized heavy cream without thickeners

　　1/3 cup powdered skim milk

　　1 lemon, cut in half

　　

Step 1

1. Read through the recipe and review any terms and techniques you aren't familiar with. Assemble your equipment, supplies, and ingredients, including a dairy or kitchen thermometer; clean and sterilize your equipment as needed and lay it out on clean kitchen towels.

　　

Step 2

2. In a nonreactive, heavy 2-quart saucepan with a lid, whisk together the cream and powdered milk. Place over low heat and slowly bring to 180°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. It should take about 40 minutes to come to temperature. Turn off the heat.

　　

Step 3

3. Slowly squeeze the juice from half of the lemon into the cream. Switch to a metal spoon and keep stirring; do not use a whisk, as that will inhibit the curd formation. Watch carefully to see if the cream starts to coagulate. You will not see a clean break between curds and whey. Rather, the cream will coat the spoon and you will start to see some flecks of solids in the cream.

　　

Step 4

4. Add the juice from the remaining lemon half and stir with the spoon to incorporate. Cover the pan and cool the cream in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

　　

Step 5

5. When the cream is firm to the touch, transfer it to a bowl or colander lined with clean, damp butter muslin. Draw the ends together and twist into a ball to squeeze out the excess moisture. This last step will make the mascarpone thick.

　　

Step 6

6. This cheese is now ready to eat. It has a very short shelf life, so refrigerate what you don't eat immediately and use it within 2 days.

　　Excerpted from Artisan Cheese Making at Home Copyright © 2011 by Mary Karlin. Excerpted by permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.MARY KARLIN is a cooking teacher, food writer, and author of Wood-Fired Cooking. She is a founding staff manager and chef-instructor at Ramekins Culinary School in Sonoma, CA, and she teaches at cooking schools nationwide. Mary splits her time between Northern California and Arizona.