Taking my homemade ricotta cheese and turning it into tiny, fluffy pillows of ricotta 'dumplings' aka Italian Ricotta Gnocchi. One of the easiest recipes to make but, does take some practice as you don't want to add so much flour that the dumplings are too heavy - start with 1 cup of flour and add in flour until your dough is no longer sticky, keep your work surface floured (and hands), once the dough can be brought together in a ball, lightly knead the dough for 3 minutes before rolling and cutting... Be sure to serve these hot with in a light sauce as these are filling! I prefer a light pesto, light marinara but, a brown butter mixed with some herbs is my favorite! ~Enjoy! Diane
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Two things happened the other day, I found myself facing needing to use up some ricotta cheese that was in our fridge and I my friend Claudia from What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine posted one of her most requested cookie recipes, that uses ricotta (view Claudia's recipe here). I know baking with sour cream or ricotta means a soft, moist end product that is sure to "Wow!" folks. I decided to make her cookies which is actually a recipe from her Mom, even better as I love true 'family recipes.' These cookies are moist, cake-like, airy and fluffy with the wonderful flavor of lemon shining through. This is a wonderful Traditional Italian cookie, and can be made into so many other wonderful flavors, I can't wait to make more!! ~Enjoy! Diane
"Mom's Lemon Ricotta Cookies" (recipe can be doubled) recipe by: What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 2 large eggs 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract 1 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt 1 teaspoon lemon zest Directions:
Icing/Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar drops of hot water to make a thin frosting 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel assorted candy sprinkles, for the tops of cookies Mix the water a little at a time until the frosting runs a small stream, add in peel. Dip cookies into the frosting and sprinkle with colored candies. Makes Approx: 3 1/2 dozen Cashew Basil Pesto Ricotta ~ Sauce, Dip or Pasta Filling
Homemade Ricotta Cheese 8 cups milk 3 Tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice or Vinegar 1 tsp salt In large non reactive sauce pan over LOW heat, bring milk and salt to 190 degrees, stirring very frequently, to prevent sticking/scorching. When it begins to boil, the top will cover with foam. At this point, while still stirring, slowly add in lemon or lime or vinegar. Stir a minute or two, until liquid separates and curds form. Remove from heat and let coo 20-30 minutes, uncovered. Slowly pour mixture through fine sieve and allow to drain. Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, or freeze up to 6 months. Makes about 1.5 cups packed Cashew Basil Pesto 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped cashews, lightly toasted 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic salt and pepper, to taste Lemon or Lime Juice, optional *Homemade Ricotta, see above Pesto: Add all ingredients except ricotta to blender and blend until smooth Serve as a dip with fresh breads or sauce over cooked pasta. . For dip: mix equal parts Ricotta and Pesto, add lemon or lime juice to thin to your liking. Serve with breads, crackers, or chips. For Pasta: Mix pesto sauce into homemade ricotta, use as a filling to stuff into pasta shells or layer into a lasagna. Recipe & Photos by: JD Provence for Canning and Cooking at Home "This recipe and all the variations except for the cream cheese, work with 1%, 2%, and whole milk, which of course makes the richest cheese. If you have access to fresh milk, you'll get the best flavor using it. This is also a great way to get rid of that last half of that jug of milk before it goes bad." JD Provence. I would like to thank JD for delving into this and writing up everything and testing out all that he did. I cannot wait to make fresh ricotta for not only my lasagnas but, my lemon ricotta cake and other baked goods. Not to mention fresh cream cheese for my homemade english muffins. ~Enjoy! Diane Quick and Easy, Fresh Cheese *guest post Ingredients:
(1) Before starting, line a strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth or a piece of un-dyed cotton muslin. (a clean, white dish towel works great!) Have a long piece of cotton string ready. For ricotta and cottage cheese, a fine mesh, plastic sieve works fine, cheesecloth and string is not necessary. Just let it cool to a touchable temperature before pouring into sieve. Diane Note: if you have a jelly bag and a sieve that can rest over a larger bowl, that works great too. (2) Put the milk in a large, heavy bottomed, non-reactive saucepan over medium low heat. Warm, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until the milk begins to simmer and foam forms on top, about 10 minutes. Diane Note: if you have an instant read thermometer, bring the milk up to 190 degrees before adding in the acid, (3) Add the buttermilk, or acid, if choosing to go that way, to the boiling milk all at once and stir gently until the mixture separates into curds and whey. This should take a minute or 2. Remove from heat and stir in a large pinch, up to a teaspoon of salt, if you like. Diane Note: Let pot sit off the heat, uncovered for 20-30 minutes (4) Carefully pour the mixture through the strainer so that the curds collect in the bottom and the whey drains off. Gather up the corners of the cloth or jelly bag and twist the top to start shaping the curds into a ball. Run the bundle under cold water until you can handle it. Keep twisting and squeezing until the bundle feels firm and dry. Don't worry about handling it roughly, it can take it. Just don't squeeze so hard that the cheese oozes out through the pores of the cloth. (5) Tie the string around the top to hold it tight, then tie the string around the handle of a long spoon or stick to suspend over the pot to drain. Let it rest, undisturbed, until cool and set, about 90 minutes. Diane Note: If using a jelly bag, hang to drip-dry on jelly stand. (6) Remove the cloth and serve immediately or wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to a week, or freeze up to 6 months. Fresh Cottage Cheese. Drain as dry or as moist as you like. Follow the recipe through Step 3. In Step 4, after you pour the it through the cheesecloth, simply leave the curds loose in the strainer until they've drained the amount of moisture you desire, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Then scoop the curds into a container and store in the fridge up to a week, or freeze up to 6 months. *Add 1 Tbs cream to the final product if you like a moist cottage cheese Fresh Ricotta Cheese. Reduce the amount of buttermilk to 1 pint, or use 3 Tbsp acid and proceed with the recipe through Step 3. In Step 4, after you pour it though the strainer, simply leave the ricotta in the strainer until it has reached the texture you like, anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Gently scoop or dump into container and store in fridge for up to a week, or freeze up to 6 months. Fresh Cream Cheese. Use 1 quart of heavy cream instead of the milk and reduce the buttermilk to 1 pint or use 3 Tbsp acid. Fresh Goat Cheese. Substitute goat milk for the cow milk and 1 pint goat's milk yogurt, citrus juice of vinegar for the buttermilk. Powdered Milk Cheese. Yes, you can make cheese from reconstituted powdered milk, I tried and it worked. The curds looked like scrambled eggs. It formed a nice tight ball of cheese, and it tastes like powdered milk. To me, powdered milk tastes like a cardboard box , and the cheese is no different. I tried it for this article, and it's not something I would make again. On the brighter side, my little 4 legged sous chef taste tester loved it! Chocolate Cheese. Okay, just for the sake of the article, I made some cheese from Chocolate Milk. The cheese is smooth and chocolaty, but without the sweetness. I think this would be a great dessert topping or filling for chocolate coated truffles. Recipes by: JD Provence for Canning and Cooking at Home |