Ricotta and Lemon Dessert

The ricotta and lemon dessert is a fresh and light dessert, perfect for closing a meal sweetly without weighing you down. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 250 g of fresh ricotta
• 100 g of powdered sugar (plus a bit more for dusting the finished dessert)
• The grated zest of 1 organic lemon
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 packet of vanillin or vanilla extract
• 200 ml of fresh cream to whip
• Dry biscuits or ladyfingers for the base
• Butter (enough for the biscuit base)

Optional:

• Fresh fruit for decoration (raspberries, strawberries, etc.)

Preparation

1. Start by crushing the dry biscuits until they become a “flour” and mix them with melted butter to create a compact mixture that you will use as a base. Spread the mixture on the bottom of a baking tray lined with parchment paper or in a springform pan, leveling it well. Let it rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the cream.

2. For the cream, sift the ricotta in a bowl to make it finer and creamier. Add the powdered sugar, grated lemon zest, and lemon juice, and mix well until you have a homogeneous mixture.

3. In another bowl, whip the cream, which must be very cold, until it becomes fluffy and firm. Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta, trying not to deflate it and maintain the airy structure.

4. Take the biscuit base out of the refrigerator and pour the ricotta and cream mixture over the base, leveling it with a spatula or spoon.

5. Let it firm up in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or even better, overnight.

6. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar and decorate with fresh fruit if you wish.

Optionally, for an extra touch, you can add a few drops of lemon liqueur to the ricotta mixture to intensify the flavor.

Curiosity

The ricotta and lemon dessert can have different regional variants in Italy. In some versions, chocolate chips, cinnamon, or other spices are added to enrich it. Ricotta is a very versatile ingredient in Italian pastry and is used in both sweet and savory versions.