THE SOUTH BEACH RICOTTA CREAM!

I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT ONE CAN have their cake and eat it too. Or rather, their cream! Let me preface this by saying that ricotta cream is a Sicilian specialty and a Sicilian would never in their wildest dreams think of using a sugar substitute so I beg the pardon of all Sicilians I know and love for this greatest of transgressions.

The South Beach diet does allow one some guilty pleasures, but they are still to remain absolutely sugar free (at least for the first two weeks). The whole point of this exercise is to make it a way of eating and living. I have always had a sweet tooth, even though I haven't used sugar in my coffee in years. Of course, by sweets, I mean brownies, cookies, pies, cakes, and all the rest as well.

I decided to give this a try. I have written about ricotta before and make my own ricotta cheese quite frequently; it's like the tuna - once you make your own, the store bought stuff will never, ever be good enough again.

RICOTTA CHEESE

1/2 gallon milk (your choice but not skim - too much sugar)
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

CURDS AND WHEY!

The picture above is dairy in the process of becoming cheese, and look what happened: Australia! Funny what shapes heat produces! I know people in Australia and thought of them immediately, but only momentarily. One must concentrate when making cheese.

Take a large tea towel or triple layers of cheesecloth and wet with water. Wring out the the towel or cheesecloth and place over a colander. Place the colander over a large bowl.

Mix the milk and the half and half in a large pot and pour in the vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes. Put on a moderately high flame and heat until the temperature reaches 180º. Remove from flame. Take a slotted spoon and skim the curds out of the pot and put into the colander with the tea towel. Put the pot of whey back on the stove and bring to a boil. Skim more curds away from the liquid. If you want, pour the contents of the pot over the cheese and allow it all to drain. The longer you let the cheese drain in the colander the denser - and better - the cheese will be. It should yield about 2 cups of ricotta cheese. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate.

RICOTTA CREAM

RICOTTA CREAM

1 cup ricotta cheese
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. coffee mixed with half and half
1 package artificial sweetener (Splenda, Equal, etc.)
2 tsp. powdered unsweetened cocoa

Mix the cheese and the egg with a whisk or an electric beater. Add the sweetener, the coffee, the vanilla and the almond extract. Mix well until very creamy. Fold in the nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Spoon out some ricotta cream into a bowl and sprinkle on the cocoa powder and serve immediately, preferably with espresso.

Buon appetito!!!