Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4.5 pounds russet potatoes , peeled and halved lengthwise
• 0.5 cups mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 0.75 cups milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper , or to taste
• 1 cup butter , cut into chunks

Instructions

1. 1

   Place potato halves into a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. A knife should pierce the middle of a potato half easily. Transfer potatoes to a colander and drain thoroughly, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

3. 3

   Whisk mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir egg yolk and milk into mascarpone cheese, whisking until smooth; season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

4. 4

   Transfer potatoes to a separate large mixing bowl, add butter chunks to potatoes, and season with salt and black pepper. Mash butter into potatoes with a potato masher until fluffy; a few lumps are okay. Whisk mascarpone mixture into mashed potatoes.

5. 5

   Spread mashed potatoes into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Smooth the top and use the tip of a spatula to lightly press the potatoes and lift up to create little peaks and valleys in the top.

6. 6

   Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are heated through and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.