Category: Cheese

Breakfast, Cheese, Dessert

Ricotta Cheese with Candied Almonds and Berries

Lynnae

A few weeks ago, I was watching an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, and she made this unusual breakfast dish. I had to try it! It was an instant hit and we’ve made it several times since. I spread the ricotta and almonds right onto my toast. No butter needed. Yum!

This is one way to use the homemade ricotta cheese recipe I shared a few days ago. You start this dish with warm ricotta cheese. To the cheese, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of honey. Fold it together and set the cheese aside.

The next step is to candy the sliced almonds. Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan and add 1/2 cup of sliced almonds and a dash of salt. Stirring constantly, cook the almonds until they just turn golden brown. Do not leave them unattended. They will burn. Add 1/3 cup of real maple syrup and coat the almonds. The mixture should bubble up and caramelize. Set aside.

You can serve this with your favorite toast. (I turned a loaf of our sourdough ciabatta bread into crostini. I cut the bread into thin pieces, brushed them with olive oil, and toasted them in a 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes until they were golden brown.)

From there, just plate the food. Put a dollop of ricotta in the middle of the plate. Top with almonds. And surround with toast and fruit.

This is absolutely a guest worthy dish. You can serve this as a sophisticated dessert or a light breakfast. Your guests won’t soon forget this meal.

Ricotta Cheese with Candied Almonds and Berries

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 recipe of Homemade Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • Dash of salt
  • 1/3 cup real maple syrup
  • Fresh mixed berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, washed
  • Your favorite toast or crostini

INSTRUCTIONS:

While your homemade ricotta cheese is still warm, add the vanilla and honey and mix together.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauté pan.  Add the sliced almonds to the pan and sprinkle with salt.  Stir the almonds until they turn a beautiful golden brown color.  Add the maple syrup and coat the almonds in the syrup.  Remove from heat and set aside.

To plate, put a scoop of ricotta in the center of a plate and top with a spoonful of the almonds. Serve with 1-2 slices of toast and a mixture of your favorite berries.

sweet-ricotta-and-candied-almonds
Cheese, Italian

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Lynnae

I love ricotta cheese. It is really versatile. You can use it in desserts, breakfasts, Italian dishes, spreads… I do find that the texture and the cheese can be a little dry. When I make cannoli, I have always used a particular brand of whole milk cannoli because it has a more creamy texture.

I recently found just how easy it is to make homemade ricotta cheese. I was so excited because I have so much more control over the consistency and texture of the cheese to better match the dish I’m making. Plus the fresher the better.

The equipment you need to make ricotta is a heavy sauce pan, a fine mesh strainer, and some cheese cloth. For ingredients, you need milk, cream, salt, and vinegar or lemon juice. That’s it!

You make the base of the cheese by combining the milk, cream, and salt in a heavy sauce pan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Then, add your acid and let the milk curdle. It takes about 1-5 minutes. Finally, pour the mixture into a cheese cloth lined fine mesh strainer resting in a bowl. The whey will separate out, leaving the cheese behind. Drain until it reaches your desired consistency. You can speed up the process by twisting the cloth together and providing a little bit of pressure.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 ½ cups milk
  • 2 ½ cups cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice

EQUIPMENT:

  • Cheese cloth
  • Fine mesh strainer

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add milk, cream, and salt to a heavy pot and bring to a rolling boil.  Remove from heat and add the vinegar or lemon juice.  Mix together.  The mixture will start to curdle.  Allow the mixture to sit for 1-5 minutes.  Put your strainer in a bowl and line it with a 2-4 layers of cheese cloth.  Carefully pour your milk mixture into the cheese cloth and allow to drain until you reach the desired consistency, about 30-60 minutes.  You can cool in the refrigerator or use immediately.

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