More Nigella recipes

Baci Di Ricotta

by Nigella. Featured in FEAST

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Introduction

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.

For US measures and ingredient names, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

FEAST

2004

Buy Now

Baci Di Ricotta — Photo by James Merrell

As featured in

FEAST

2004

Buy Now

Ingredients

Makes: 30 baci

Metric U.S.

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 granulated 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...

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
These are best eaten straight away. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. To reheat, put on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and warm in an oven heated to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F for 5 minutes.

Tell us what you think

What 8 Others have said

These are the lightest little babies you could possibly imagine. They really don’t taste or feel deep fried. Instead, they feel airy and just kissed with cinnamon and vanilla. I thought it would be a lot of trouble to fry them after dinner, but I was wrong. The whole process was quick and easy. I served them to guests, and I’ve never seen anything disappear so quickly!

Posted by jtv0310 on 30th December 2023
Light fluffy pieces of Ricotta cheese fried they puff up into little pieces of goodies, light, scrumptious little puff balls of delights, piled high upon eachother on your finest cake stand to be carried to the table to your guests delight perfect for after a dinner party delectable, scrumptious clouds of delicious morsels of delights! Enjoy!

Posted by Odelle on 19th December 2022
These were so light and fluffy, absolutely delicious. Can't wait to make them again.

Posted by Iamachef on 26th April 2020
These are so moreish.... yummy!

Posted by Orthowidow on 3rd March 2019
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!

Posted by Shr00m on 22nd August 2017
I made these - with boozy cherries added - for a special birthday breakfast. So easy and SO delicious!

Posted by Foodycat on 13th September 2013
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!

Posted by haugtussa on 11th July 2013
yummy xxx

Posted by suppat_ward on 23rd January 2012