Baci Di Ricotta
by Nigella. Featured in FEASTIntroduction
I don't deny that having to stand stoveside frying 30 teaspoons of ricotta at the end of dinner is a slight drawback, but these are so good, I really do think it's worth it. Besides, there's no getting around it. Somehow, that makes things easier for me. I just accept what has to be done, and get on with it.
I wouldn't want to have to get up in the middle of some formal dinner and start deep-frying (or maybe I would: escape can be appealing for both host and guest at those sorts of gathering), but when it's just a case of your friends sitting around a table, it's not such a big deal. Go easy on the drink over dinner, though.
I don't deny that having to stand stoveside frying 30 teaspoons of ricotta at the end of dinner is a slight drawback, but these are so good, I really do think it's worth it. Besides, there's no getting around it. Somehow, that makes things easier for me. I just accept what has to be done, and get on with it.
I wouldn't want to have to get up in the middle of some formal dinner and start deep-frying (or maybe I would: escape can be appealing for both host and guest at those sorts of gathering), but when it's just a case of your friends sitting around a table, it's not such a big deal. Go easy on the drink over dinner, though.

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Ingredients
Makes: 30 baci
- 200 grams ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 75 grams plain flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- vegetable oil or corn oil for frying
- 2 teaspoons icing sugar (to serve)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- vegetable oil or corn oil for frying
- 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar (to serve)
Method
- Put the ricotta and eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture to make a smooth batter.
- Fill a wide, shallow pan with about 2cm / ¾ inch of oil. Heat the pan of oil until a tiny blob of batter sizzles when dropped into the hot fat.
- Drop rounded teaspoons of the ricotta batter into the pan, about five or six at a time; don't be tempted to make them bigger, boring though this is, they will puff up on cooking. You need to turn them over quite quickly so it's best to do a few at a time. You don't want to get too frantic around all that hot fat. As they turn a golden brown, flip them over and leave them for a minute or so on the other side.
- As you lift them out of the pan, place the cooked baci di ricotta on some kitchen towel, just to remove the excess oil. Then pile the balls of heat-bronzed ricotta on to a plate in a rough-and-tumble pyramid shape, and push the icing sugar through a small sieve evenly but thickly over them. Eat straightaway. As if...
- Put the ricotta and eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture to make a smooth batter.
- Fill a wide, shallow pan with about 2cm / ¾ inch of oil. Heat the pan of oil until a tiny blob of batter sizzles when dropped into the hot fat.
- Drop rounded teaspoons of the ricotta batter into the pan, about five or six at a time; don't be tempted to make them bigger, boring though this is, they will puff up on cooking. You need to turn them over quite quickly so it's best to do a few at a time. You don't want to get too frantic around all that hot fat. As they turn a golden brown, flip them over and leave them for a minute or so on the other side.
- As you lift them out of the pan, place the cooked baci di ricotta on some kitchen towel, just to remove the excess oil. Then pile the balls of heat-bronzed ricotta on to a plate in a rough-and-tumble pyramid shape, and push the confectioners' sugar through a small sieve evenly but thickly over them. Eat straightaway. As if...
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What 5 Others have said
These are so good I had to walk away from the plate! I dusted them in cinnamon sugar and wow. I didn't have ricotta so I made my own. So so so good!
I made these - with boozy cherries added - for a special birthday breakfast. So easy and SO delicious!
For Christmas, drizzled with snow, glazed (icing/water) from top to bottom (like a Christmas-tree with snow). Thank you Nigella, you are the best!
This recipe is similar to Sambuca Kisses from Nigellissima, only with a few additions.
yummy xxx