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I searched high and low for crème fraiche, but when I found it I thought it tasted most like sour cream. I have never bought mascarpone.
My main questions is, why can't I use just one or two of these things in all recipes? What's the big difference?
Mascarpone is expensive, an 8 oz container can cost $6, but I've bought it at Walmart for $3.50. I only use it for tiramisu. It's very mild and bland tasting too. It's like cream cheese without the cheese taste.
Mascarpone is expensive, an 8 oz container can cost $6, but I've bought it at Walmart for $3.50. I only use it for tiramisu. It's very mild and bland tasting too. It's like cream cheese without the cheese taste.
The crème fraiche I bought was $5. and the taste is most like sour cream. I guess what I want to know is, whether a thing that is most like another cheaper thing, is interchangeable.
The crème fraiche I bought was $5. and the taste is most like sour cream. I guess what I want to know is, whether a thing that is most like another cheaper thing, is interchangeable.
It depends on what you are using it for. I can use that Neufchâtel cheese that tastes like cream cheese but milder in place but it won't be the same as mascarpone. I've never had creme fraiche but I read it's a milder form of sour cream. Ricotta I've only used in lasagna a long time ago, but it can be sweetened and used in desserts. I would maybe mix some heavy cream of half and half into sour cream to make it more like creme fraiche. Depends on the recipe and how you will use it.
I searched high and low for crème fraiche, but when I found it I thought it tasted most like sour cream. I have never bought mascarpone.
My main questions is, why can't I use just one or two of these things in all recipes? What's the big difference?
Creme fraiche is really just the French version of sour cream. If you don't want to buy it you can mix 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1/2 cup of sour cream. You are suppose to leave it out overnight, then stir it and place it in the fridge. You just need to use it in the next couple of days. I know the leaving it out seems weird. I've done it that way before and I've left it in the fridge the whole time before - it was okay in the fridge but wasn't quite as authentic.
For the mascarpone, you can mix a large cream cheese brick (8 ounces) with 1/4 cup whipping cream by creaming it together or the brick with 1/8 cup whipping cream+ 1/8 cup butter. I prefer the butter/whipping cream combo. I have a friend who mixes the brick with 1/4 cup sour cream, but I don't think that works anywhere near as well.
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I searched high and low for crème fraiche, but when I found it I thought it tasted most like sour cream. I have never bought mascarpone.
My main questions is, why can't I use just one or two of these things in all recipes? What's the big difference?
And you also forgot to mention Mexican crema which is somewhere between sour cream and creme fraiche.
As much as possible, I really try to avoid using recipes as it has me running up to the store and buying all of these ingredients that I am not going to use. Wherever possible, I try to develop a plan to use up all of the special ingredient before I actually purchase it.
By the way, in lasagna recipes, a lot of people use small curd cottage cheese instead of ricotta. The cottage cheese is generally a lot cheaper and up until maybe ten years ago, much more available.
IMO, I wouldn't substitute these ingredients... I don't think they're necessarily interchangeable, because the fat content can be very different, for one thing. Crème fraiche and sour cream are around 30% fat content, while yogurt can be very low fat-- this can make a huge difference to how a recipe turns out.
Keep in mind, that cooking is part chemistry. The ingredients interact while the recipe is prepared. Crème fraiche and sour cream are more interchangeable with one another, then say, ricotta (a tangy cheese) and yogurt.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by so954
Mascarpone is expensive, an 8 oz container can cost $6, but I've bought it at Walmart for $3.50. I only use it for tiramisu. It's very mild and bland tasting too. It's like cream cheese without the cheese taste.
$2.99 at Trader Joe's.
I've been thinking of making a small batch of tiramisu filling with cream cheese just to satisfy my curiosity. Anyone ever try that?
Creme fraiche is really just the French version of sour cream. If you don't want to buy it you can mix 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1/2 cup of sour cream. You are suppose to leave it out overnight, then stir it and place it in the fridge. You just need to use it in the next couple of days. I know the leaving it out seems weird. I've done it that way before and I've left it in the fridge the whole time before - it was okay in the fridge but wasn't quite as authentic.
For the mascarpone, you can mix a large cream cheese brick (8 ounces) with 1/4 cup whipping cream by creaming it together or the brick with 1/8 cup whipping cream+ 1/8 cup butter. I prefer the butter/whipping cream combo. I have a friend who mixes the brick with 1/4 cup sour cream, but I don't think that works anywhere near as well.
Thanks for the tip. I have never made anything with mascarpone, so not too concerned about that, but if I can avoid driving 30 minutes for crème fraiche I will try to make it.
One of my favorite dinners ever was creamy polenta with roasted portabella mushroom in a wine sauce topped with mascarpone cheese and fresh herbs. Had it in a restaurant many years ago and have tried to recreate it at home several times since then but could never get it quite right. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
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