Ricotta Christmas Cookies Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What do Italians use ricotta for? ›

Ricotta is a mild Italian cheese that's classically paired with pasta, spinach, and tomatoes for a heavenly flavor combination. It's soft enough to spread and works like a charm for stuffing ravioli, manicotti, or jumbo shells.

Fresh ricotta is creamier, lighter, and altogether more tasty and satisfying than the packaged version. If you've never had fresh ricotta, it will be a revelation, and you'll want to eat it by the spoonful before it even makes it into one of your favorite recipes.

The word ricotta comes from the Latin word which means cooked twice. It is made from the whey, the watery liquid left over after another cheese has been made. The whey is heated again with rennet and the curds that have risen to the surface are scooped into a container, drained and prepared for aging.

Ricotta cookies are a soft, almost fluffy drop cookie topped with a simple glaze. My understanding is they are Italian in origin, although I mostly think of ricotta cookies as something that's made around the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.

If eating plain, drain for five minutes to get a moist, spreadable ricotta, or until you reach a consistency you enjoy more. If cooking in moist, savory dishes, approximately twenty minutes should achieve a cottage cheese consistency, with small, moist curds.

Compared to most cheeses, ricotta is a healthier choice because it contains less salt and fat - 10 per cent fat, of which 6 per cent is saturated.

Mizithra or myzithra (Greek: μυζήθρα [miˈziθra]) is a Greek whey cheese or mixed milk-whey cheese from sheep or goats, or both. It is sold both as a fresh cheese, similar to Italian ricotta, and as a salt-dried grating cheese, similar to Italian ricotta salata. The ratio of milk to whey is usually 7 to 3.

What is Sicilian cheese called? ›

Sicily produces three main types of cheese - pecorino, Ragusano, and ricotta. Each of these types have variations as well, often distinguished by how the wheels are treated, and how long they are aged.

I bet you didn't know that the American classic dessert, the chocolate chip cookie, wasn't invented until 1938.

Biscotti: Perhaps one of the most famous Italian cookies, biscotti are crispy, twice-baked treats that are perfect for dipping in coffee or wine. Traditionally flavored with almonds and fragrant anise, these long-lasting cookies are a staple in every Italian household.

The chocolate chip cookie was invented by American chefs Ruth Graves Wakefield and Sue Brides in 1938. She invented the recipe during the period when she owned the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Massachusetts. In this era, the Toll House Inn was a popular restaurant that featured home cooking.

The creamy consistency and freshness typical of ricotta make it one of the most widely used dairy products not only on its own, but also in cooking recipes. First, the many traditional desserts whose main ingredient is ricotta cheese, like the classic ricotta Ciambellone cake.

There are several sweet breakfast dishes that Italians favor. These include a range of pastries, including cornetti, which is like a filled croissant, and sfogliatelle, a thin pastry with ricotta that's popular in Naples.

It often serves as an ingredient in desserts, such as cannoli and ricotta cake; a dip for fresh fruit; and as a filling for lasagna and ravioli, as well as a component of many other pasta dishes. Along with its mild, slightly sweet taste, ricotta also presents several nutritional health benefits.