Mascarpone Cheese

Mascarpone cheese is a soft, spreadable fresh cheese made from heavy cream. It has a silky, custard-like texture and a mild, buttery flavor with a faint sweetness. It blends smoothly into desserts and sauces, enriches tiramisu and frostings, and spreads easily on toast; commonly sold in tubs.

Producers in Lombardy, northern Italy, developed mascarpone by acidifying and gently heating cream, then straining to thicken. It became a staple in Italian confectionery and northern pasta cookery and later spread worldwide through pastry and restaurant kitchens.