Light Homemade Ricotta Cheese Recipes

EASY AND DELICIOUS HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Pour milk into a saucepan set over medium heat. Heat milk until it registers 194 degrees F (90 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir lemon juice and salt slowly into warmed milk. Let stand until milk curdles, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Pour milk mixture carefully into the lined strainer. Let stand until most of the liquid has drained off the ricotta, about 15 minutes. Discard drained liquid.

LIGHT HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Line a large colander with several layers of dampened cheesecloth, allowing the edges to extend over the edge, and place colander in bowl.
• Combine milk and buttermilk in large stockpot. Attach a candy thermometer to edge of pan so that it extends 2 inches or more into milk mixture.
• Cook over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 170 degrees (about 20 minutes), gently stirring occasionally. AS SOON as it reaches 170 degrees, stop stirring (whey and curds will begin separating at this point). Continue to cook, WITHOUT STIRRING (so that curds do not break apart), until thermometer reaches 190 degrees. Immediately remove pan from heat.
• Using slotted spoon, GENTLY spoon curds into cheesecloth-lined colander; whey will drain into bowl, which can be reserved for other use.
• Drain this way for 5 minutes, then gently gather edges of cloth together (again being careful not to squeeze or push on the curds) and wrap with rubber band or tie edges together in order to hang from faucet or other object. This will cause it to drain more thoroughly. Leave for 15 minutes or so until remaining whey has drained out of the ricotta.
• Unwrap cloth and scrape ricotta into a bowl and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Save or discard the whey.
• Cool to room temperature. Can be stored up to four days in refrigerator.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Line a colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth, and secure it with 3 or 4 clothespins. Set the colander inside a bowl.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, with a thermometer handy, combine the whole milk and buttermilk and heat, stirring nearly constantly, until the temperature reaches 180 degrees F. When you reach 170 to 175 degrees F, you'll start to see fine, little curds separating from the whey. At 180 degrees F, turn off the heat, and skim the curds from the whey using a finely slotted spoon, dropping the curds into the cheesecloth-lined colander. (Save the whey for another use, such as breadmaking.) Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and tie it with a 2-foot length of string. Gently squeeze to remove more, but not all, liquid from the cheese, and then hang over the sink or a bowl for 20 to 30 minutes to drain it a bit more. (I use the string to tie the bag to my faucet.)
• Remove the ricotta from the cheesecloth, spoon it into a container, and stir in the salt. Serve ASAP, preferably without refrigerating.

LIGHT RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Cream together sugar and butter; stir in egg; combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; add to butter mixture; mix to form a soft dough; reserve a half cup dough to be used later for topping; refrigerate the remaining dough.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whip egg whites until stiff; combine egg yolks, sugar, ricotta cheese, sour cream, flour, salt, orange juice, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until smooth; gently fold in whipped egg whites.
• Press chilled dough evenly into a 10" springform pan that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray; pour filling over crust; combine reserved dough with oatmeal and cinnamon; crumble this topping evenly over filling.
• Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near center of cheesecake comes out clean.
• Cool cheesecake on rack; cover and refrigerate to chill thoroughly; just before serving remove sides of springform pan and transfer cheesecake to serving platter.