I got a request on instagram from a viewer, @thecultclassy, to make a dish from Italy….so, I made my favorite Italian dessert: ricotta cheesecake! It’s completely different from New York cheesecake (which makes me feel like I swallowed a rock). There’s no cream cheese, only ricotta, so it’s light and fluffy. I used Martha Stewarts recipe to make this dish, but adapted it slightly to fit my tastebuds. To me, this tastes the way Italy feels…bright, happy, carefree. The perfect way to serve up la dolce vita, anywhere.
(All videos filmed, written, narrated, and edited by yours truly)
MARTHA’S RECIPE (with my twist)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp matzo meal
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla extract, to taste (I put about 1 tsp)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan (3 inches deep). Whisk together ricotta, egg yolks, vanilla, zest, and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together well, making sure there are no lumps. Combine the wet ricotta and eggs mixture with the dry flour mixture, set aside.
Whisk egg whites with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Raise speed to high, and gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form. Gently fold a third of the whites into ricotta mixture using a rubber spatula until just combined. Continue with the rest of the egg whites, making sure not to fold too heavily or fast.
Pour batter into pan, and bake until center is firm and top is deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; release sides to remove from pan, and let cool completely. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
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