Wednesday 14 September 2011

Ricotta all'arancia (Orange Ricotta sweet delight!)




Back from my time in my native Italy, here I am... Beautiful pictures, most of them in my head, memories, good and bad and... colours... Italy, my country, is blessed with "colour"... blue sky, blue sea, dark green olive leaves, lizards and geckos and yellow... lots of yellow, lots of sky... and sun!
I feel so inspired when I'm there. I see beauty in everything and I feel so lucky!
This Summer, as every Summer, we visited a Dairy Farm called Tenuta Vannulo, in Campania. I managed to get very close to the buffaloes who seem to have a truly enviable lifestyle. They are so happy, plodding along in the hot sun, covered in mud. They turn round and look at you when you say "CIAO!"
Buffalo milk makes the most delicious ricotta cheese ever! I just love eating it as it comes... it's creamy, looks beautiful, smells of rich milk and it's just really yummy!
One afternoon I decided to make a sweet, using ricotta, oranges and some figs I just picked from one of our trees and... this is what I made!
RICOTTA ALL'ARANCIA
(Ricotta and orange
pudding)
Makes 4 delicate servings
Ingredients:
3 oranges
500g (1lb 2oz) ricotta
25mls (2 1/2 fl oz) honey
5tbsp sugar
2tbsp water
2tbsp orange liquor
( I used the BIG GM!)
or limoncello
To serve:
4 slices orange
fruit of your choice
This is a very easy and light sweet... small, but quite rich portions of Italian delight!
Before you start, cut two of your oranges in half, squeeze the juice and reserve in a bowl. When you have done this, peel the remaining third orange and cut the peel into thin strips .
Place the orange peel in a small saucepan with the sugar, water and the liquor. Cook on a low heat until the peel is tender and golden.
Place your delicious ricotta in a glass bowl with a tbsp of sugar, add the juice from the oranges and mix, until you obtain a soft, deliciously creamy mixture (I also added some grated orange rind to add texture and extra flavour!)
You are now ready to finish off your sweet. Divide your ricotta into four equal portions. Arrange each one onto a slice of orange placed on a plate. Pour some runny honey over each portion, followed by some of the juices in which the orange peel was softened.
Arrange some of the caramelized orange peel over each portion, so your pudding looks pretty, then add fruit of your choice. I had fresh figs with mine, because they added colour and looked very pretty.
My ricotta tasted delicious and was light, fruity and very Italian indeed!

14 comments:

  1. Hello again Anna, How lovely to have you back! I'm very pleased to be reading your delicious recipes again and feeling the colour and sunshine of Italy. I'm sure you are a little home sick, so I wish for you some beautiful sunny Autumn days. Jane x

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  2. Thank you Jane! Yes, I'm back and kind of glad it's cooler here. We came back and then had to fly back again last week for four days.

    I took lots of photos in Italy and I guess you'll be seeing some of them on my blog.

    Though I miss my family and Italy, I'm kind of glad Summer is over. There have been some very sad times... unfortunately, I will never see my mother again.

    Good to hear from you, Jane!

    Anna x

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  3. Hello Anna
    Welcome back. I had been wondering about you and so glad you continue to post.
    You are tempting me so much with this dish and figs I have been thinking about all day. There is no country that can compare to Italy for figs and one must be there in season

    Lovely to have you writing again Bella Anna

    Ciao
    Helen xx

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  4. Hi Helen! Good to hear from you! You are so right about fresh figs... I can only eat them if I pick them myself, standing under a tree, in the hot sun. It's lovely!

    I am back from a second journey to Italy, as last week we had to fly back to my native Bari, for a few days.

    I have lots of stories, images and recipes to share, so keep reading!

    THANKS for being so kind.

    ANNA x

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  5. Oh Anna!!!

    I've got to say that anything made with ricotta is right up my alley! I love it...we had it last night in our pasta...but I love desserts too!

    might just have to try this one out!
    ciao bella

    Creative CArmelinA

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  6. Ciao Carmelina!

    My mum used to make pasta with ricotta, too, occasionally. I think ricotta is delicious in cakes and sweet dishes. I love cannoli and Pizza di Ricotta (Pastiera, our Easter Cake... really delicious!)

    Thank you for coming to say ciao, Michelina!


    ANNA

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  7. Ciao Anna, good to see you posting such beautiful photos, especially the first one. You are so right about the intensity of the colours here in Italy. Take Care, will be thinking of you.

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  8. Dear Anna, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mother. You are in my thoughts. Jane x

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  9. Dear Anna,
    I just read you comment above and Jane the Booklady's too. I am so sorry to hear about dearest Mamma. I have a candle lit in her honour and pray for all of you.
    Helen xx

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  10. Dear Jane and Helen..
    Thank you both so much for thinking about me and my mother. It's been a very sad time, but I know that she gave so much when she was alive, she will continue to live.

    Strange enough, I started this blog because I wanted to record memories of my life with her (including many hours in the kitchen, even when I was really tiny) and I will carry on (look out for the next post!) because I love it.

    Thank you so much...

    ANNA
    X

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  11. Hi Lindy! You are so right! Everything in Italy is brighter and more colourful. It must be the intensity of the sun. When we went back, last week, it felt weird, as it was like stepping back into a Summer which was already beginning to feel like a memory... it's still so HOT, there!

    ANNA

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  12. Carlo,

    Aspetta il prossimo post e vedrai che appetito!

    CIAO

    ANNA

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  13. Dear Anna, Just to add a last little note. Please don't stop your blog... I love it!! Jane x

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  14. excellent, getting really good with the photography!

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