Every Sicilian I have ever met has a sweet tooth, we love our dolce (dessert), especially those with sweetened ricotta!
Sicily’s iconic cannoli with its crisp pastry shell, creamy ricotta filling and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar is probably the most well-known, followed by the elaborate cassata, a rich layered cake filled with luscious ricotta and almond paste.
However, few Italians make these at home anymore, heading instead to their trusted pasticceria for those “special occasion” desserts.
Ricotta al Caffe, a delicious smooth, creamy blend of ricotta and coffee is a very easy and quick dessert to prepare (needs to be refrigerated overnight before serving). I often double the recipe so that I can enjoy it for breakfast too!
The Torani syrup in the recipe is made with pure cane sugar and vanilla extract, can be used to make Italian sodas, added to coffee drinks (was used to create the world’s first flavored latte), and in smoothies and cocktails.
With hand-written recipes from their family in Lucca, Italy, Torani got it’s start in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco nearly ninety years ago. They initially created five authentic flavored syrups, today they have one hundred.
Although, I have seen Torani syrups in many grocery stores and Cost Plus World Markets, only a limited variety of flavors is available. For the entire list of products visit Torani.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups ricotta
- 6 tablespoons vanilla Torani syrup
- 1/4 cup espresso or very strong coffee (warm, not hot)
- Cocoa powder for garnish
- In a food processor, combine ricotta, Torani vanilla syrup and coffee.
Pulse until smooth and creamy consistency. - Transfer mixture to a bowl, refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, spoon into small cups, bowls or stemmed glasses. Put the cocoa powder in a small strainer or sifter and dust the top of each dessert. A plate of biscotti for a little crunch is always nice too.
To see all the different flavors of syrups, visit Torani.
