Does anyone have a count of how many times I have mentioned how much I love ricotta cheese? I think the obsession started when I visited Anafora Wine Bar for the first time and spread some of theirs on a perfect nugget of bread. Feeling inspired, I decided to make my own ricotta cheese. I will admit, it takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you will have a perfectly whipped, salty-sweet cheese, perfect for spreading on some airy toast. This product is a testament to the benefits of homemade: so much more flavor, and so much room for innovation. I have created a few different variations with instructions below. Happy cheese making!
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Whipped Ricotta Cheese with Milk, Honey, and Sea Salt
- Yield: 2/3 cup of ricotta cheese 1x
Description
This recipe will leave you with a perfectly whipped, salty-sweet cheese, perfect for spreading on some airy toast. The Ricotta is a testament to the benefits of homemade: so much more flavor, and so much room for innovation. This particular recipe doesn’t use any buttermilk, but comes out creamy, slightly sweet, and definitely irresistible.
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk (reduced fat just doesn’t work as well) + 2 Tbsp
Juice from 1/2 a lemon, squeezed directly into the milk
Honey – a tablespoon or two
Sea Salt
Equipment:
Small pot
Candy thermometer (something that reads at least up to 180 degrees)
Cheesecloth
Colander
Slotted spoon
Instructions
Cut enough cheesecloth to cover the bottom of your colander. 4-ply the cheesecloth to make sure no actual cheese escapes – just water!
Pour 2 cups of the whole milk and lemon juice into a small pot outfitted with a thermometer. Heat this over medium-low heat and babysit it. The babysitting involves you watching like a hawk and stirring occasionally so it doesn’t boil over.
The thermometer will start to creep toward 160 degrees. This is the action zone. Your milk will start to separate and curdle. Stop stirring and let the milk completely separate and curdle. Remove from the heat.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the curdled portion and place it on the cheesecloth that is sitting in the colander. Let it drain for about 10 minutes.
After draining, I transfer it to a container. With a fork or a whisk, add in your 2 Tbsp of milk, honey and sea salt. Give it a good whipping.
Notes
For this version I didn’t use any buttermilk. Works just fine!
Whipped Ricotta Cheese with Olive Oil and Truffle Salt
- Yield: 1 cup ricotta cheese 1x
Description
This recipe will leave you with a perfectly whipped, salty-sweet cheese, perfect for spreading on some airy toast. The ricotta is a testament to the benefits of homemade: so much more flavor, and so much room for innovation. The olive oil and truffle salt takes this classic recipe to another level of coziness.
Ingredients
Ricotta Cheese whipped with Olive Oil and Truffle Salt
2 cups whole milk (reduced fat just doesn’t work as well) + 2 Tbsp
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Truffle salt to taste (you can use regular sea salt if you don’t have the fancy truffle variety)
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Equipment:
Small pot
Candy thermometer (something that reads at least up to 180 degrees)
Cheesecloth
Colander
Slotted spoon
Instructions
Cut enough cheesecloth to cover the bottom of your colander. 4-ply the cheesecloth to make sure no actual cheese escapes – just water!
Pour 2 cups of the whole milk, all of the buttermilk and all of the white vinegar into a small pot outfitted with a thermometer. Heat this over medium-low heat and babysit it. The babysitting involves you watching like a hawk and stirring occasionally so it doesn’t boil over.
The thermometer will start to creep toward 160 degrees. This is the action zone. Your milk/buttermilk will start to separate and curdle. This is one of those rare occasions when curdling is a good thing. Stop stirring and let the milk completely separate and curdle. Remove from the heat.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the curdled portion (this is your ricotta!) and place it on the cheesecloth that is sitting in the colander. Let it drain for about 10 minutes.
After draining, I transfer it to a container (like a tupperware container, as you can keep your chemistry experiment in the fridge for up to a week). With a fork or a whisk, add in your 2 Tbsp of milk, the olive oil and the truffle salt. Give it a good whipping.
I add this last extra step as ricotta can get a little dry from the draining. Especially if you leave it in the colander and forget about and say…oh start vacuuming your apartment or something. This makes it moist and flavorful.
