Quick Sweet Ricotta Recipe -5 minutes! (2024)

FAQs

Quick Sweet Ricotta Recipe -5 minutes!? ›

In a medium bowl mix ricotta, egg, brown sugar and vanilla extract and, when all ingredients are well combined, divide it between 2 forms. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until nicely golden. Take baked ricotta out of the oven, leave for 2 minutes and then ptransfer on a plate.

After fermentation, the whey is cooked to almost boiling; afterward, the residual proteins solidify into curds, which are then filtered through a cloth. The result is a product with a consistency similar to cottage cheese, but with a sweet taste.

Whole Milk (not ultra pasteurized!): I recommend whole cow's milk for creamy flavor and texture. Alternatively, 2% or 1% milk can be used; but the final result will not be as creamy. Ultra pasteurized milk does not work for homemade ricotta. It won't curdle properly.

Whipping ricotta in the food processor transforms it into an incredibly smooth, spreadable cheese—a blank canvas to be paired with any number of flavors and ingredients.

You can do this by tilting the container slightly and using a spoon to scoop away the liquid. Place a few layers of paper towels on a plate or a clean kitchen towel. The towels will absorb any moisture from the ricotta. Scoop the ricotta onto the paper towels, spreading it out in an even layer.

This is true ricotta—creamy, white, and slightly sweet. Today, ricotta is made from cow's milk and sadly, many producers use low-grade milk and shorten the fermentation process by acidifying the milk and stabilizing the end product with carrageenan and guar gum.

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny.

Why make homemade ricotta? Because you can. And because the results are so much better than most of the packaged stuff you can buy, especially at the supermarket. Making it yourself is also less expensive than buying fresh ricotta at a fancy gourmet market.

It really matters what kind of dairy you use: organic whole milk and not ultra-pasteurized cream are preferred. I also want to emphasize the importance of timing: do not overheat the milk-cream mixture, and do not let it boil. Otherwise, you will end up with tough and rubbery curd.

What is whipped ricotta made of? ›

Make the whipped ricotta dip:

In a food processor or blender, process 1 ½ cups high-quality whole milk ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and lemon zest until light, fluffy, and smooth, about 1 - 2 minutes.

Cream cheese: Cream cheese is made with milk and cream, while ricotta is made with just milk. The lower fat content makes the latter cheese slightly less creamy. However, cream cheese can still be substituted for ricotta.

Eggs help bind the ricotta cheese, but if you don't have eggs on hand then it's OK to omit them. Adding egg to ricotta cheese helps to bind the cheese for lasagna so that it doesn't ooze out of the casserole when you cut it. Basically, the egg helps all the cheesy goodness stay intact.

Compress the ricotta to help it drain by placing a heavy object on top of the cloth or plate resting on the ricotta. This could be a large can of food, a bag of stones, or any other reasonably clean object. If you cannot find anything suitable, press the ricotta down with a spoon for a minute or two instead.

Paper towels are probably the easiest cheesecloth substitute as it's a staple of nearly every kitchen. Place a dampened paper towel inside a strainer to get a finer strain. Keep in mind that paper towels, especially when wet, aren't as durable as cheesecloth and may break. Coffee filters are another excellent choice.

As the curds and whey are divided by the ice, the cheese will become more dry and crumbly in texture. To make this texture difference less noticeable in your dishes, only use previously frozen ricotta in cooked dishes.

Sweet can mean a few different things when used in a cheese context: Lack of acid flavor, like a young Colby cheese. Fresh milky flavor, like a whole milk ricotta. Actually tastes sweet, like aged Gouda.

As for making it sweet, lactose (milk sugar) is in milk, so a cheese with a higher lactose content would be sweeter, and could still reasonably be described as “all natural”. What are the simplest, tastiest cheeses to make from scratch? A twofer: mozzarella and ricotta.

The sign your ricotta is bad

Yes, ricotta doesn't have a terribly distinct smell, especially compared to other cheeses, but once it begins to smell sour, that's a sign it's gone bad. Additionally, while mold is a sign to throw out your ricotta, there are other changes in appearance that can indicate something's wrong.

Ricotta is a smooth cheese with a creamy mild taste and a thick texture. Its light flavour and low salt content make it perfect for using in sweet or savoury dishes.