How To Make Your Own Mascarpone Cheese

the finished mascarpone

"My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate. That's my philosophy."

 ~Thornton Wilder

This post is to accompany my talk on BTO for Tuesday March 15, 2011.

So I've been making lots of cheese as of late. First it was ricotta, then cottage cheese, now mascarpone. I'm a huge lover of mascarpone cheese, so I was excited to make my own. It's super easy, like the others. Here you just need cream and lemon juice.

I practically broke my toe yesterday, so I set myself up with a chair to stir and monitor it. Boo hoo!

Most recipes online suggest you heat the cream in a double boiler or a bowl set in boiling water. I did it that way first. It takes forever. No, I take that back, it takes forever and a day. Too long I think not just because of the time involved, but because much of the moisture evaporates.Then I made it again over a medium heat gently heating it to the required 190, stirring often. Much easier, with one difference. The end result was creamier since less moisture was lost. So I'm going rouge and suggesting you do it over a flame without a double boiler as well. Just promise me you won't turn up the heat too much, you'll burn it if you do. The proteins in milk just want to stick to the bottom of your pot. If you don't turn up the heat too much, it won't.

after adding the lemon juice it starts to thicken

The taste is different from store bought mascarpone. This tastes like a cross between mascarpone and butter. Mine got thick like butter, I added a little more cream before using to get it to the consistency of store bought mascarpone. Once I added the extra cream, it tasted much more like the store bought variety. I do like it, still rich and creamy like the other, but it is a little different.

Straining whey from mascarpone. Both times I made this, I didn't get any whey, so I'm not sure this step is needed. Update- if you use regular store bought cream it may not give you whey. If you use raw or non pasturized, non homogenized cream, you will get whey.

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

this makes 8 oz. (230 g.) cheese

Ingredients

2 cups, 16 oz. (1 pint) or (500 ml.) heavy cream

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Heat the cream on medium heat (no higher) stirring often till it reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit, (88 degrees Celsius). I have an electric stove, I had my burner set at 5, then when my cream got to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) I felt as though it was never going to reach the required  190 F. (88 C.) so I did increase the temp to 6.5 instead of 5 on my stove top. Make sure you stir it very often.

When it gets to the required temperature, stir in the lemon juice and continue stirring. Keeping it over the heat. Keep it at 190 F. (88 C.) for 5 minutes or so. The mixture will get thick.

Remove it from the heat and let it sit for 20 minutes.

After the time has passed, pour it into a cheesecloth lined (or thin tea towel lined) fine sieve to drain if you feel you need to. Like I mentioned above, mine never had any whey. If yours is like mine was, pretty thick already, then don't strain it, just refrigerate it. Then when it's cold check back with it. Mine got even thicker as it got cold.

Note* Next time I make this I am going to add a little more cream to it before I refrigerate it. Maybe 1/3 cup (100 ml) at most. So when the cheese is at room temperature add some cream back into it, a little at a time, if 1/3 cup (100 ml) seems like too much, if it's getting too loose, then don't add it. Mine hardened to a very thick cream cheese texture almost the texture of butter. The next day after being in the refrigerator, with a whisk attachment on a stand mixer I added cream gradually and whipped it till it was like the texture of whipped cream cheese. Then it tasted like mascarpone I'm used to eating.  So if you're not sure if you should add more cream, go ahead and whip it back in later like I did.

If you do strain it, let it come to room temperature sitting there draining, then put it in the fridge. *see above note.

This will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

How To Make Homemade Cottage Cheese

"When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be."

-Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, 2009

This post accompanies my talk on BTO for Tuesday March 15th, 2011.

It's super easy to make your own homemade cottage cheese. Even easier than making ricotta. It's easier because the milk only has to get to 120 degrees, and that happens pretty quick. The directions are straightforward, pour vinegar in heated milk, wait for curds to separate from whey, and strain the curds from the whey. Later add a little cream back in the mix for a creamy delicious treat. If you are watching your fat intake go ahead and add a little milk back in, or even add a little yogurt, if you'd like.

the whey separating from the curds



straining the curds from the whey



I purchase vinegar by the gallon because it has so many uses. For cleaning it's great. You can also add it to your wash instead of fabric softener for softening clothes.



the finished curds

I think it's much better than store bought cottage cheese. The curds alone taste a little like mozzarella cheese. They are soft and have a nice texture. A little half and half or cream added back in is super delicious.

I used half nonfat milk and half 2% only because I had a little from each carton left, only nonfat would be fine. Raw milk would give it even more flavor.

 I made this using a 1/2 gallon of milk, you can increase it to one gallon easily by doubling it. The half gallon of milk only gave me about 1 cup of curds, so plan accordingly. It only lasts about 3 or 4 days in the fridge so only make as much as you will eat in that time.



Homemade Cottage Cheese

1/2  gallon milk (8 cups) (2,000 ml, or 2 liters) skim (nonfat) or 2% or whole raw milk
1/3 cup (100 ml) white vinegar
a pinch or 2 of salt
a few tablespoons of milk or cream to add at the end to each serving

Heat the milk in a large non reactive (not aluminum) saucepan over medium heat. Stir it often and don't turn up the heat too much because milk likes to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. 

Heat until it reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit, 49 degrees Celsius. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. Add the vinegar and give it a good stir, at this point you will start to see the curds separating from the whey. The whey is the greenish liquid. The riboflavin or vitamin B2 gives it that green hue.

 Let it sit for 30 minutes undisturbed.

Line a colander with a thin clean tea towel or cheesecloth set over a large bowl. Pour the curds over the colander to strain the whey. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Now rinse the curds by holding the towel or cheesecloth with the curds in it over cold water. Rinse it for a few minutes, until the curds are cold. While you are rinsing it, break up the curds with your fingers.

Squeeze most of the moisture out of it. Transfer it to a bowl. Add a few pinches of salt and stir. If you will be eating it now, go ahead and mix in a few tablespoons per serving of milk or cream, or yogurt for a creamy texture. If you aren't eating it now, store the curds without anything added in the fridge for a few days.

Luck Of The Irish Cookies

"If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then you're lucky enough.”

-Irish Proverb

Yes, green M&M's, perfect for St. Patricks day. Also good since well, they are green M&M's. That's why I'm calling these Luck Of The Irish Cookies. Because if you serve these to your significant other, well, you might get lucky.

I used my adapted version of the Neiman Marcus' Chocolate Chip Cookies and instead of the chips, used the M&M's.

I like their recipe since they have a lovely crispness on the outside with a nice chew on the inside. I never use the called for espresso powder. I added it once and didn't like the coffee flavor, it is slight, but not for me. Love coffee, just not in my chocolate chip cookie.

I purchased my green M&M's at Michaels. They have them in all colors. But here's the thing, this 7 oz bag costs like $5.99. My Irish luck was with me though, I had a 40% off coupon to use for my purchase.

May they bring you luck, in more ways than one, nudge nudge, wink wink.





Luck Of The Irish Cookies

adapted from the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie recipe

This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies


Ingredients

 1/2 cup (1 stick)  (113.5 g.) butter, softened

1 cup (204 g)  light brown sugar

3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups (176 g.) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1- 7 oz (198.5 g.) bag green M&M's (one cup) divided


Directions

 Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, 150 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 2.

 Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds.)

 Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

 In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk it together. Add it to the butter mixture and mix until well blended.

Then don't do what I did. I made the dough in the stand mixer, so I added the M&M's to the dough and let her rip. This broke up the M&M's something terrible.

 So add all but a few tablespoons of the M&M's and gingerly blend them into the dough with a spoon. Set aside the remaining M&M's for topping each cookie.


 Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a parchment paper (or Silpat)  lined cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with your clean hand to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Press a few of the reserved M&M's on top of each cookie.

 Bake for 17-18 minutes for a cookie that is crisp on the outside but chewy and soft on the inside. 19 minutes will give you a more crisp cookie, 20 minutes they will be mostly crisp with a slight chew on the inside. If you want them straight up crisp then cook for 2 or more minutes longer.

Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

My Favorite Moist White Cupcakes

"When you look at a cupcake, you've got to smile."

~ Anne Byrn

 

**** UPDATE 4/23/2013 ** I have a new white cupcake recipe! Here! The Best Moist and Fluffy White Cupcake Recipe.  BUT - I have heard reports from people that they still like this recipe the best, so try them both and you decide! This one is very moist. The one mentioned is moist, but I believe a little more fluffy, so it depends on which is the most imporant to you.

I make alot of cupcakes. I bake cupcakes for my husband's work, and white cupcakes are the most requested. To be specific, "white cupcakes with that butterscotch frosting". That butterscotch frosting, is a Swiss Meringue Buttercream, my all time favorite frosting.

I went through a time where I wasn't happy with the white cake recipe I was using, so I tried different recipes. I mean I tried many recipes. I used one from Americas Test kitchen, one from Amy Sedaris, and one from Magnolia Bakery. I made one from Martha Stewart and I even used a recipe from The Cake Bible. They were all fine, not bad at all, just not what I was looking for. You see, I was looking for a really moist cake with a great vanilla flavor. I didn't care if the crumb was right. I didn't care if it was a proper cake. I just wanted it to be moist and really yummy. An all American cupcake.

I think here in the U.S. we are accustomed to cake mix cake, and doctored cake mix cake. Which is not really a proper cake that you would find in maybe France or England. But what do I know? I've never been to Europe I just imagine that's where a proper cake lives.

I have also seen people from other countries eat a cake mix cake and wow, they don't like it at all. They aren't into the artificial flavor. I'm not into the fake flavor either, but I can't say I don't love the texture of a doctored up cake mix, so hence the search.

I was about to make the recent cupcake request, and I decided to try yet another recipe. As I was reading through recipe after recipe I found it. A Texas white sheet cake, you can't get more American than that. I love me a Texas sheet cake. They are always very moist and really delicious. So I made cupcakes with said recipe.

And all be darned, these were some great cupcakes! They are very moist, and super yummy. I think I found my favorite white cake recipe. And easy! I can't say that wasn't a fantastic unexpected side effect. You make it all in one big saucepan. I think it took me about the same amount of time a cake mix would, I kid you not. You don't even need a mixer. You don't need a mixer for the cake, that is.

I wish I could say this frosting is easy as well. But what am I gonna do? It's my favorite frosting of all time. It tastes of butter, and whatever flavor you add to it, but it's lighter than butter. It is not overly sweet. It's a frosting that many bakeries use. In fact a great local European bakery (that has since closed) used it, and I loved the their buttercream. My husband is not a frosting fan and he loves this, he says it tastes like ice cream.

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The frosting is a little laborious, I'll forgive you if you just want to make the cake and use a different frosting.

It isn't difficult, it is pretty straightforward, and definitely worth it. It calls for liqueur, which is pretty important. It cuts the straight butter taste. It doesn't taste like there is any alcohol in it. You can use any flavor of liqueur you'd like. The bakery I mentioned used Kirsch. I use it also sometimes, but I also use Butterscotch schnapps, and sometimes Frangelico, or Amaretto.

 

 

 

My Favorite White Cupcakes  

 

**Edited to add ** 3/24/2013 - I have increased the leavening in this recipe. I have been making these for years now and I find it makes them a little lighter, a little more fluffy yet still really moist. They still are not the most fluffy recipe on the planet, but they are super moist and really delicious. Whenever I make them I get rave reviews. I also changed the yield. I find they make a little more than the 36 previously noted, more like 40.

 

makes about 40 cupcakes - the recipe can easily be halved if you need less

For The Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups (1 lb)  (454 g.) butter

2 cups (473 ml) water

4 cups (403 g.) all-purpose flour

3 cups (583 g.) sugar

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup (122 g.) sour cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 Tablespoon plus 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 Celsius or Gas Mark 4. In a large saucepan add the butter and water and cook until butter is melted. Remove from heat and add sugar, stir it till dissolved, then add sour cream, eggs and extracts. Whisk until well combined. Let cool to room temperature before proceeding.  Edited to add** In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda, then whisk the dry ingredients into the batter until well mixed. 

Pour the batter into a large container with a pour spout, like a large measuring cup. Pour the batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake wrappers. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Edited to add***Don't open the oven until 18 minutes have passed. Sometimes recipes say to turn the pan half way through cooking time, don't do this here. The reason is because there is so much moisture in this recipe you need that cooking time before opening the oven or else they may fall, and never rise.

Cool cupcakes on wire racks. Frost them when totally cool.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

this amount covers the 36 cupcakes in the recipe

adapted from this recipe

You really need a stand mixer for this recipe, you might be able to do it with a hand mixer, but I've never tried. So I'm going to give the instructions based on using a stand mixer.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs unsalted butter (680 g.) (6 sticks) room temperature

1 3/4 cups (340 g.) granulated sugar

10 egg whites  (10 oz. 336 g.)

1 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract, or the extract of your choice.

2 Tablespoons liqueur, such as Amaretto, or Frangelico or Butterscotch schnapps, or Kirsch, or any flavor you'd like

Directions

First of all, it's really important that your butter is at room temperature. So if it's not already, go put your butter on the counter. I say this because usually when I see that in a recipe I just pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds and it works perfectly. But here it doesn't work as well, since the microwave heats it unevenly.

Place your egg whites and sugar in a double boiler or a bowl that sits on a pot of simmering water with the bowl not touching the water (a bowl that is NOT the bowl of your stand mixer, unless you have 2.) Lightly whisk the sugar and whites until it becomes 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or 60 degrees Celsius. Or if you don't have a thermometer, until it's hot to the touch.

Pour the hot white mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer (make sure the bowl is room temperature,) and mix with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium high until it has doubled in volume, when the mixer stops it should not move around in bowl. Remove the whisk and turn it upside down, the meringue should stand straight in the air.

Cut up the butter into 1 inch pieces. It should be moist on the outside but still cold inside.

On your stand mixer remove the whisk and attach the paddle. Add half the butter pieces into the bowl and immediately pulsate the mixer several times by turning it on and off in a jerky motion, this forces the butter to the bottom of the bowl. Do it until the meringue has covered the butter completely.

Turn the mixer on low. Gradually add some of the remaining butter pieces while the mixer is on, add a few pieces of butter, then turn the mixer up a speed, then add a few more, turn it up again, do this until you have used all of the butter. Don't go higher in speed than medium high.

Now beat it on medium high for about 5 minutes. At this point I walk away and come back. I always get worried it's not going to come out right. (I've made this dozens of times.) The reason is because it goes through all kinds of stages. In the end it will be the consistency of whipped butter only a little lighter. The picture above (the one in the mixing bowl) is the finished frosting.

When it's done turn the speed to low. Add the flavorings and liqueurs. Taste it and add a little more if it needs it.  Don't go overboard, but if the flavor isn't pronounced, you run the risk of it tasting solely of
whipped butter.

Frost the cupcakes using a pastry bag, or by using a zip top bag with a corner cut off.

This frosting needs to be eaten at room temperature because it solidifies like butter does when cold. So if you are serving them the next day, refrigerate them, but remove them from the fridge in plenty of time for them to come to room temperature.

Pretzel, Chocolate Chip, and Caramel Cookies

"Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: Deliciusness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good. "

-Mariska Hargitay

I was making chocolate chip and caramel cookies because I had some caramels in the pantry I wanted to put to use. Cookies seemed like a good vehicle. I made a few tasted them and thought they were o.k. They were quite sweet because well, prepared caramels are candy, after all.

I thought they needed another element. Maybe something salty? That's where the pretzels came in. I added some chopped pretzels to the dough, and it added the salty dimension I was missing.

These cookies have lots of chewy caramely bits, chock full of chocolate and pieces of salty pretzels.

I used prepared caramels like I mentioned. You need to chop them pretty small so they won't turn into a molten pool of caramel on your cookie sheet. An arduous task, chopping caramels into pea sized nuggets.


Pretzel, Chocolate Chip and Caramel Cookies

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (248 g.) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (one cup) (230 g.) butter
1 cup (192 g.) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100 g.) brown sugar
2 eggs
8 oz  (228 g.) chopped chocolate, or 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
27 caramels (236 g.) such as Kraft, unwrapped and chopped into pea sized pieces, Mine came in 5.25 oz bag, I used a bag and a half, the leftover 1/2 a bag I used for topping
1 1/2 cups (76 g.) chopped pretzels

For Topping

a handful more chocolate chips, chopped caramels, and chopped pretzels

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit, 160/170 Celsius, or Gas Mark 3.


In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture. When all is incorporated, stir in chocolate chips (or chocolate pieces) caramels and pretzels.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets covered in parchment paper. (the parchment is important some of mine had melted caramel on them, with the parchment it comes right off.)

Push the cookie down with your hand to flatten a little bit. Add a few bits of caramel, pretzel, and chocolate.

Bake for 12 minutes for a chewy cookie. Bake a little more if you want them more crisp. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Oatmeal Cake

What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?

 ~Lin Yutang

I grew up eating this cake. My mother made it quite a bit while we were kids. There are quite a bit of oatmeal cake recipes out there, so I'm thinking I'm not the only one.

My sister made this cake when my husband and I came for dinner years ago, and he absolutely fell in love with it. So much so, that every year since, he's wanted it for his birthday, (which was yesterday, March 4th.) I was shocked to hear such a thing.  In the past, his "birthday cake" was a pumpkin pie, his childhood favorite. So this is high praise, him liking a cake this much, as he's never been a cake person.




I think this speaks volumes to how delicious this cake is. It is so incredibly moist, with a taste of brown sugar and butter, with more brown sugar and coconut topping it off.  It's simply scrumptious.

 I make it about once an month, have served it to guests and gotten more raves from this simple cake, as some very elaborate masterpieces.



 
Simple is an understatement. It takes one bowl, one spoon, and one arm, then in the oven it goes.
 
This is my mothers recipe, with a few minor changes. I like a taller cake, so I increased the amounts of the batter, as well as doubling the topping ingredients.
 
I think mom would be proud.
 

Oatmeal Cake
 
makes one 9x13 cake
 
Ingredients
 
1 1/2 cups (120 g.) oats- old fashioned or quick, but not instant
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) (170 g.) butter, salted or unsalted
2 1/4 cups (532 ml) boiling water
1 1/2 cups (302 g)  brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (288 g) white sugar
4 eggs
2 1/4 (224 g) cups flour
1 1/2 Tablespoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 tsp salt
 
Topping
 
1 cup (2 sticks) (228 g) butter
1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
2 cups (402 g) brown sugar
2 cups, 7 oz. (200 g) coconut-I use unsweetened, from a health food store in the bulk section, you can also use sweetened, if you do, I would cut the brown sugar to 1-1 1/2 cups (302 g).
 
Directions
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 4. 

Make the cake batter- Cut the butter into chunks (so it will melt easier) then place the butter and the oats into a large bowl.  Pour the boiling water on top of the oats and butter, and let sit for 15 minutes. Grease a 9x13 pan.
 
Add the rest of the cake ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Pour into prepared pan, Bake for 45 minutes, or until it passes a toothpick test.
 
While the cake is baking, make the topping. Cut up the butter into tablespoon size pieces, and place in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add the cream and brown sugar. When all is melted, add the coconut and cook for a minute or two.
 
When the cake is finished baking pour the warm topping over the hot cake.
 
Let cool on the counter. Serve warm or room temperature. Cover the leftovers with foil or plastic wrap.

Peanut Sesame Noodles

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me."

-Ayn Rand

These noodles are one of my favorite things to put in my mouth. I love it for dinner. It's easy and flexible.You can use any vegetables you like, more than the recipe calls for if you want to pack those veggies into your diet, or I've even made it with no vegetables. Just noodles with peanut sauce, oh yeah. Hot or cold, still hearty, filling, satisfying and really tasty.  It's Vegan too!

mise en place

 A cinch this recipe is. A perfect weeknight dinner. To complete this dish it takes only as long as it does to cook pasta.

everything cooking together makes putting this together a snap

Peanut Sesame Noodles


Ingredients

Serves 4

For the Noodles
 1 1 lb package (454 g) spaghetti- I used Dreamfields, use what you like
2 cups (322 g) sugar snap peas
2 cups (322 g) small broccoli florets
2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers-remove the seeds then thinly slice-I used one yellow and one red this time
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
salt for pasta water

For the Sauce

1/2 cup (90g) creamy peanut butter-I used natural pb
2 tablespoons sugar-if you use pb with sugar you may want to omit this
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
5 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
a pinch or up to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want it
salt, to taste

For Topping

chopped or halved peanuts

Directions


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti. 3 minutes before it's done, add all of the vegetables to the pot of pasta. Cook for 3 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together all of the sauce ingredients breaking up the peanut butter, then whisk the sauce till smooth. Add about 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the sauce to thin. Add vegetables and pasta to the bowl and toss to coat. Add a little more pasta water if you think it needs more moisture.

Top each individual servings with halved or chopped peanuts, if desired.