Ricotta al caffè

Back in April we presented a lovely simple dessert from Sofia Loren, ricotta condita, ricotta flavored with cocao, that got a very enthusiastic response from our readers. Well, here’s another simple dessert in the same vein, ricotta al caffè, or ricotta flavored with coffee.

It would seem the first recipe in English for ricotta al caffè was included in Elizabeth David’s iconic 1954 cookbook, Italian Food. In her recipe, David calls for finely ground coffee beans to flavor the ricotta. But you can also use freshly brewed espresso or instant coffee to get the job done. The coffee is complemented with sugar to offset its bitterness and, if you like, a drizzle of rum or another liqueur for extra depth and aroma. After brief spell in the fridge to let the flavors meld, you’re ready to serve, if you like with some simple cookies or wafers.

Ricotta al caffè makes for a easy and refreshing summer dessert or sweet afternoon snack. But it’s a delight at any time of year.

Ingredients

Serve 2-3

• 250g (1 cup) of ricotta
• 2-3 Tbs sugar, preferably superfine (caster) sugar, or more to taste
• 1-2 tsp rum or other liqueur, or more to taste

Plus one of the following coffee flavorings:

• 2 Tbs (one shot) freshly brewed espresso or
• 2 tsp of instant espresso or
• 1 tsp finely ground coffee

For topping, one or more of the following:

• Dark chocolate shavings
• Cocoa powder
• Whipped cream

Serve with:

• Wafers or thin cookies

Directions

If the ricotta is very watery, place it in a sieve and let it drain for 30 minutes or so.

Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl, then add the sugar, coffee and, if using, the liqueur. Whisk vigorously until you have a perfectly smooth, fluffy mixture.

Taste and adjust for flavor. Add amore coffee, sugar or rum, if you like, to suit your taste. Or if you find the taste too strong, add more ricotta.

Let the mixture chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

When you’re ready to eat, spoon the mixture into demi-tasse cups or dessert glasses. If you like, top each serving with indicated toppings. Ricotta al caffè pairs beautifully with cookies or wafers.

Notes on ricotta al caffè

The recipe is so simple, it’s practically a non-recipe, but for best results you should choose quality ingredients and balance them with care. For getting the balance right, I’d refer you to the notes for our recent post on ricotta condita. The same considerations apply here, with coffee standing in for the cocoa and rum for the cognac.

The chill in the fridge before serving is an important step you should resist the temptation to skip. It firms up the ricotta, allows time for the flavors to meld and gives the sugar a chance to melt. If your ricotta al caffè right after whisking, the mousse would have a rather ordinary taste and grainy texture.

Speaking of graininess, if you want a perfectly smooth ricotta al caffè without any trace of graininess, then you can either (1) press the ricotta through a sieve either before or after whisking it with the other ingredients (the old school method) or (2) whizz it in a food processor in lieu of whisking. Personally I don’t mind the slight graininess you get with hand whisking. It reminds me I’m eating ricotta and not, say, a crema pasticciera.

The coffee flavoring

In taste testing all three ways to inject coffee flavor into the ricotta mixture, I was surprised to find that I liked the freshly brewed espresso and instant espresso versions more or less equally well. I might even give the instant the edge, as it lent in a deeper, warmer color to my ricotta al caffè. The OG version using finely ground beans was dead last in my opinion. Surprisingly, it actually had the least coffee flavor of the three, with a rather bitter aftertaste.

For the freshly brewed espresso, I used my favorite brand, Caffè Kimbo from Naples. brewed real strong in my trusty Breville Touch Impress. All of this is totally personal, of course. Use your own favorite brand and brew long or short as you prefer. If you don’t have a fancy espresso machine, don’t hesitate to use a moka pot.

Instant espresso is pretty easy to come by where I live, but if that’s not the case for you, there’s always online shopping. Or just use regular instant coffee. Bear in mind that the better the coffee, the tastier the result.

Finally, if you want to go with ground coffee beans, make sure they are very finely ground. For my taste testing, I cranked up my coffee grinder to its finest setting. If you’re buying ground coffee, go for a grind suitable for espresso or, even better, for Turkish coffee. Otherwise, your ricotta al caffè will be unpleasantly grainy. Also, to offset their bitterness, I would add an extra spoonful of sugar or two.

Choosing the ricotta

See our recent post on ricotta condita for tips on the best ricotta for making ricotta al caffè. And how best to work with it.

Choosing and measuring the sugar

Any type of sugar will do, but to my mind superfine aka caster sugar is best, as it will melt into the ricotta mixture quickly.

Some recipes call for a great deal more sugar than called for above, something like 60-80g (5-6 Tbs) for this amount of ricotta. In my taste tasting I found that I liked a bit more sugar as well, even though I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. The sugar wakes up the coffee flavor, rather like adding salt to a savory dish. But here again it’s very much a matter of taste.

The liqueur

The liqueur is optional but I find it lends a lovely depth of flavor and aroma. Rum is perhaps the most common liqueur you’ll find in recipes for ricotta al caffè, but do feel free to sub other liqueurs like Frangelico or, if you really want do lean into the coffee flavor, a coffee liqueur like Kahlua.

The cookies

Cookies or wafers are optional too, but they pair beautifully with ricotta al caffè. They provide an interesting contrast in texture and also, since the portion of ricotta is rather small on purpose, stretching your serving. Look for something light and crispy, with a delicate complimentary flavor, such as ladyfingers, butter cookies or, as pictured, Milano cookies.

Variations

There are a number of ways you can vary your ricotta al caffè to your liking. If you like a softer, creamier texture, you can add a bit of whipped cream or condensed milk to the ricotta mixture. If you want, you can add a pinch of warm spice. My cyber-pal Stefano of Italian Home Cooking, for example, adds a pinch of cinnamon to his ricotta al caffè. (He also makes his own ricotta!)

Emiko Davis has a lovely recipe for making a kind of ‘lazy tiramisù‘ with ricotta al caffè, where you layer the ricotta mixture with broken up ladyfingers or butter cookies and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or cocao.

Making ricotta al caffè ahead

As mentioned, you really should make ricotta al caffè ahead and leave it in the fridge at least an hour. Iit will keep for at least a day.