An underutilized Italian cream cheese that is versatile and great for family snacks.

I had some mascarpone leftover after making tiramisu and experimented with a few easy ways to enjoy it (other than just slathering it on crackers) in a way my kids might enjoy it.

Mascarpone is an Italian cheese from the Lombardy region. It’s a thick, double or triple cream and is richer than American cream cheese. It has a high-fat content – anywhere from 60-75%. This makes Mascarpone cheese the perfect ingredient for desserts like Tiramisu and cheesecakes. (American cream cheese, by law, must contain at least 33% milk fat and not more than 55% moisture. Mascarpone can be smooth and creamy to buttery, depending on how it’s processed during cheesemaking. (It’s apparently so easy, it can be made at home – I’m not there yet.) Either way, it must be consumed within a few days as it goes bad quickly.

It is this beauty in cream and cheesemaking that makes mascarpone a wonderful addition to both sweet and savory dishes. It can also be used to thicken puddings and creams in desserts, thicken sauces or even used in rich French toast.

My uses for mascarpone are much simpler, for the busy person who adores the mouthfeel of creamy mascarpone or for when you just need to use it up before it goes bad J

1. Mascarpone and blueberry trifle

Here, I beat mascarpone with [more] cream (whipping cream) and with a drop of vanilla extract and layered it with blueberries. Pipe it in a fancy glass and the kids feel extra special (I did too ;)

2. Whipped Mascarpone and Peanut Butter fruit dip

This is my favorite! I often beat cream cheese with peanut butter (you can add cocoa powder or a touch of Nutella here …. Nutella goes with EVERYTHING in my book), so I tried it with mascarpone. Delicious! Add a few drops of cream to thin it if you wish. Then serve with fruit for a fun dessert.

3. Mascarpone with blueberries on crackers

Ok, this one is just plopping together a few things, but my kids actually ate it. (I made this another time with strawberries and it was even better!) Just shmear some mascarpone cheese on crackers (I used Mary’s Gone Crackers because I like all that crunch) and plop on some pieces of fruit.

Viola! 3 easy things to do with mascarpone!

Let me know if you try any of these!