Italy-Inspired Simple Dessert
Creamy rich whipped ricotta cheese mixed with Cinnamon Vanilla maple syrup is piled into ramekins, and given the crème brûlée treatment for a luscious, fancy dessert that is ever so easy!
This stress-free 4 -ingredient velvety concoction can be served plain, or as I have with some fresh raspberries and a tangy sweet reduction of cherry almond vinegar. This quick dessert is as simple as it gets, but to ensure that it is as delicious as it is easy, one must invest in high quality ingredients. I recommend splurging on rich and creamy whole milk ricotta from a local farmer or a local Italian market – believe me the effort will be well worth it.
BE BRAVE and change up the toppings though, substituting fresh blueberries or your favorite seasonal fruit, or even some grilled peaches or pineapple. But, whatever you do, don’t abandon the vinegar reduction drizzle – it truly adds an intangible and distinctive flair to the dessert.
Let’s brûlée together!
Brûléed Ricotta with Fresh Fruit
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
2 cups (16 oz) high quality, whole-milk ricotta
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons Runamok Cinnamon- Vanilla Maple Syrup *
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Fresh Raspberries (or any other favorite fresh fruit)
¼ cup O&V Cherry Almond Vinegar *
2 tablespoons honey or Runamok Maple Syrup *
Preparation
Make the cherry almond glaze by combining the ¼ cup vinegar with the 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup in a pan and bringing it to a simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Allow to cool and check for a nice drizzling consistency. If too thin, reduce a little further, if too thick, add a little more cherry almond vinegar till you get a nice drizzle.
Place the ricotta in a food processor and whip for 1 minute, add the Cinnamon Vanilla maple syrup and lemon zest and whip another minute until well combined and fluffy. Divide the ricotta amongst 4 ramekins. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
Arrange an oven rack in the highest position of the oven. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Top the ricotta in each ramekin generously with granulated sugar.
and place on the oven rack and turn on the broiler. Broil until the sugar on the ricotta is golden brown and bubbling. Or use a culinary torch over the top of the ramekins to caramelize the sugar.
Serve the brûléed ricotta with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of reduced cherry almond vinegar.
Serves 4
Active time 15 minutes Total Time: 60 minutes includes chilling time
Chef Note
Ricotta, when heated under the broiler can become soft and liquid, to minimize this, you can first strain the ricotta by placing it in a cheesecloth lined strainer positioned over a bowl and letting the water drain out of the ricotta. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Discard the accumulated liquid and use the ricotta per the recipe.
Notes
* The deliciousness of the Cinnamon Vanilla maple syrup is hard to substitute, but you can try to use some Runamok plain maple syrup, a little cinnamon and Melipone Mexican Vanilla mixed together. The drizzle of reduced Cherry Almond Vinegar adds a decadent sweet tang but feel free to reduce any other favorite, high quality, fruity vinegar or even just use an aged balsamic. All the highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores
Categories: Dessert, Gluten Free, Fruit Dessert, Sweet, Ricotta Crème Brulée, Cherry Almond Vinegar Reduction, Cinnamon Vanilla Maple Syrup, Runamok, Melipone Vanilla, Italian Dessert, Easy Entertaining.
