Ricotta Cheese is the easiest of cheeses to make!  Thank you so much to Jennie for showing this!  It is so easy, and so good!

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

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4 cups milk (whole, 2%, skim -- you can use any variety you choose)

1 cup cream

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp salt

In a large pot, heat the milk, cream and buttermilk.  Bring up to 180-200 degrees F.  Remove from the heat and add the salt.

Drain through a fine sieve, lined with cheesecloth.

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Let drain 20-30 minutes.  Don't let it drain too long, or it will get too thick.  It also becomes slightly thicker when refrigerated.

Makes 2 cups

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So what am I making with this ricotta cheese?  Well, manicotti of course!

Manicotti with Socca Crepes

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Crepes:

2 cups chickpea flour

2 1/4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.  In a blender, mix together the ingredients.

When the skillet is preheated, spray well with nonstick spray.  Add about 1/4 cup off the batter.  Cook 1.5 minutes, then flip to the other side.  Cook another 1.5 minutes.  Remove to a plate to cool while you make the rest of the crepes.

Notes:  I had to keep spraying the pan after every crepe was made – if the pan is well greased, they will turn easily.  Otherwise, they will stick!  I used just a touch under 1/4 cup batter, and the crepes turned out to be about 5 inches in diameter.  I also kept the heat just a little under medium.

This made about 10 crepes of varying sizes.

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Looks like pancakes!

Manicotti filling:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

extra parmesan cheese and chopped parsley to top the manicotti

Mix all filling ingredients together well, beating egg in with the other ingredients.

If you used a regular crepe, like in Jennie's recipe, they should roll up pretty nicely.  However, the socca did not roll up.

I cut each "pancake" in thirds, and layered them, like a sandwich.

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In a 9 x 13 pan, spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Place the manicotti "sandwiches" on top of the sauce.  Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the manicotti.  Sprinkle with additional cheese and parsley.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Let cool slightly, and serve.

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This smells so awesome, can you smell it??

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Cheesy and delicious!

The second way I decided to use my ricotta cheese was dessert!  I had seen this recipe for Chai Spiced Ricotta Cake and thought it would be a good chance to see if I could make this gluten free, and to use the rest of my ricotta!  (Although eating it with a spoon was definitely another option I considered … this ricotta cheese is so good!)

Chai Spiced Ricotta Cake

Adapted from here

1 cup almond flour

1 cup buckwheat flour, ground from groats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tea bag (black tea), cut open and the "grounds" removed

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 tsp cardamom

1 cup stevia in the raw

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp molasses

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup ricotta cheese

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or regular milk)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a bundt pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Add in the sugar, molasses, eggs, buttermilk, oil and ricotta cheese.  Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Spoon mixture into prepared bundt pan.  Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let it continue to cool.

Prepare glaze – drizzle over cake.

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This cake is so good – I seriously can't stop eating it!

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So there you have it – Ricotta Cheese and 2 ways you can use it.

Question:  Are you going to try making ricotta cheese?