mascarpone cheese
A very soft, rich, mildly sweet Italian cream cheese; used in desserts (like tiramisu) and to add richness to sauces.
Substitutions
- Cream cheese blended smooth with a little sour cream, heavy cream, and a pinch of sugar (roughly 8 oz cream cheese to 3 tbsp sour cream, 2 tbsp heavy cream, and 1/4 tsp sugar) -- softened cream cheese first, then stirred together until smooth; close in texture and richness, slightly tangier than the real thing.
Tips & common mistakes
It breaks into a grainy, oily mess if overheated or stirred too hard while hot, so fold it into a warm mixture off the heat rather than boiling it. It's also much softer than cream cheese, so it can't be swapped in 1:1 anywhere a recipe depends on cream cheese's firmness without adjusting the other liquid.
Storage
Keep it tightly sealed and refrigerated; its high fat and low acidity mean it spoils faster once opened than a harder cheese, typically within about a week, and it doesn't freeze well -- freezing breaks its texture into something grainy and watery on thawing.