Ricotta pudding is a quick dessert that is cooling and refreshing for the summer months.
The Beauty Is in the Simplicity
I love ricotta cheese. It's creamy, sweet, and can be eaten at many meals. This dessert is simple to make and delicious. In order to make this fabulous ricotta pudding, you will need:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup candied fruits, chopped fine
- 4 tablespoons sweet Marsala
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Grated zest of one orange
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- Zest strips from one orange
- A dredge of confectioner's sugar
You will also need a strainer or a sieve.
- Press the cheese through the strainer to remove the lumps.
- Mix in the candied fruits.
- Add half the Marsala.
- In a separate bowl, place the cream, sugar, and grated orange zest. Whip to soft peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta cheese.
- Spoon the mousse (yes, it is a mousse although it is called ricotta pudding) into some bowls
- Top with the raspberries
- Chill for at least two hours
Top it Off
Generally speaking, you can add zest strips in their raw form as long as you wash the fruit thoroughly before you zest it. I don't like to do this for several reasons. The most important reason is that I think a raw zest slice is a decoration, not a garnish.
Here's what I like to do for a garnish:
- Take your zester and cut little thin strips of zest from your orange.
- Fill a small saucepan with water and drop the zest into the water.
- Once the water boils, strain the zest out and put fresh water into the pan. Repeat two more times. This will extract the bitterness from the zest.
In a small saucepan, put:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Simmer these until the liquid turns clear. Add your blanched zest.
- Bring the simple syrup/zest mixture to a boil.
- Boil until the bubbles hold for about a second or so. This shows that the syrup has thickened.
- Take the zest out of the syrup and let it dry on a sheet of parchment paper.
You can use the remaining syrup as a sweetener for tea or as a topping.
Ricotta Pudding
Just before serving, garnish with your candied orange zest, sprinkle with the remaining Marsala, and then dust with the confectioner's sugar. I think you will agree that ricotta pudding is a refreshing summer dessert.
