If your looking for a light but rich and creamy dessert to bring a satisfying and glamorous end to your evenening meal, then look no further than the Italian classic Budino di Ricotta. As budino is an Italian word for pudding, this is definitely a definitve dessert, made with eggs, sugar and of course the star ingredent ricotta cheese.
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The History of Budino di Ricotta
Puddings are a concept dating back to medieval England. However, back in the day these were savoury treats served with meats and sausages and in traditional English recipes Budino was a type of sausage. The Italians though took a sweeter route, swapping the meats for nuts and biscuits and the dish became more like a set custard cake in its texture.
The traditonal Roman budino uses sweet sheep´s milk ricotta.
What is Ricotta
Ricotta is a light, spongy and fluffy cheese with a mild and slightly sweet flavour. It is made from whey, the liquid that forms as the milk curdles and is strained to make the cheese. It can be made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, or water buffalo, but the ricotta that is commonly sold at supermarkets is made from the milk of a cow.
It’s important to remember that ricotta is fresh cheese and so whatever you use it for, such as the Budino di Ricotta below, that its used quickly. The older it is the less moisture it will have and the texture and flavour will suffer.
How to make Budino di Ricotta
Ingredients:
- 500g Ricotta (sheep´s milk is best)
- 4 large Eggs
- 3 tbs Flour
- 250g Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- Grated Zest of 2 Lemons
- 5 tbs Dark Rum
- sprinking Icing Sugar
Cooking Instructions:
Mash the ricotta and beat well with the egg yolks, stir in the flour, sugar, cinnamon, grated lemon rind and the rum and mix well. You can do this in a food processor to save time and your strength! Beat the egg whites until stiff, fold in and pour into a buttered and floured 25cm cake tin. Bake in the oven at 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas 4 for about 40 minutes, or until it is firm.
Serve hot or cold dusted with icing sugar.
Adapting Budino di Ricotta
You can make Budino di Ricotta to suit your own tatses by, for example, adding chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit to the mix. You can also top it with a variety of sauces, such as chocolate, caramel sauce or a fruit coulis.
Enjoy!
If Budino dyour not a queen or king of desserts, then Budino di Ricotta is a great place to start. Its relatively quick and easy to make and if you are having guests round it’s looks impressive and tastes amazing. It’s a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed for any occasion.
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