Homemade Ricotta

Whenever it is a slow day at the office, one of my coworkers, Andy, likes to pose questions to our team to break up the afternoon lull. One of his questions a while back was: "If you could read only one magazine for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Without a doubt, mine is Cook's Illustrated. The very magazine that gave us grilled stuffed flank steak, did it again with a seemingly impossible food: homemade ricotta.

Yes, you read that correctly...it IS possible for the home chef to make your own cheese! I couldn't believe it either. The recipe was almost unnoticeable; it took only a tiny corner of a page in the magazine, and was accompanied by the claim that really sold me: "superior to store-bought." Really?! I could make ricotta? And it will be better than something made by people who actually know how to make cheese? I had to try it.


I couldn't believe how impossibly simple the recipe was. There are only 3 ingredients:

1. One gallon of whole milk
2. One tsp. salt
3. 1/3 c. lemon juice

Really. That's it. With three ingredients, you can make about 3.5 cups of ricotta (I didn't measure in the end, but I think it was about the same amount that you get from a 15 oz. container from the store).


Do-It-Yourself Ricotta
From Cook's Illustrated, Sept/Oct 2009

1. Heat the milk and salt over medium-high heat in a dutch oven or other really big pot (we're talking a whole gallon of milk here, people).
2. When the temperature of the milk reaches 185 deg F, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. (I improvised and used a meat thermometer to check the temperature, but it looked like it was just before boiling, if you don't have a thermometer on hand)
   
3. Allow the liquid to stand undisturbed (seriously, don't touch it!) for about 5-10 minutes. The milk will separate into solid white curds and translucent white whey during this time, though it may be hard to tell from the surface.
4. After the wait, dip a spoon in to see if there are curds. If the milk hasn't separated, stir (gently!!) another tablespoon or so of lemon juice and let sit again.
5. Spoon the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth and drain, without pressing, overnight in the fridge.

And that's it! Then you have ricotta! Amazing!
The homemade version is great for lasagna (hint hint...post to come), manicotti, cheesecake, etc...


Homemade ricotta may not be photogenic, but it is seriously good.

Obsessions: the homemade version

I think there comes a time in any amateur chef/baker's life where they eat something delicious and then think: I wonder if I can make this myself? This has happens to me a lot, but I rarely ever think about actually doing it. Until an obsession happens.

Working in downtown SF, I am surrounded by Specialtys Bakery. My office frequently calls on Specialtys to cater meetings and events. While they have delicious salads and sandwiches, the real draw of Specialtys is their cookies. And not just any cookies: wheat germ chocolate chip cookies. Sounds weird right? But no...it should sound delicious.


These cookies are no small obsession. They are crumbly, chocolatey, and loaded with butter (in true Specialtys style) to offset any potential health benefits from the oats. There is always a race among my coworkers to get this cookie out of the assortment. We often end up splitting it many ways, so everyone can have a bit. And every time, I think - wow this is so good...can I make a cookie like it?

Challenge accepted.

I found a "reverse-engineered" recipe online and so it began. It was my intention to make a test batch this weekend for a pre-football game picnic, but the test turned out so well, that I just had to share it with you!


There is certainly something about homemade cookies. Like Linda wrote, the perfect homemade cookie is a challenge that we bakers all face. Warm, crunchy, delicious, and dare I even say...healthy?

This cookie just might be it. With a mere 1/2 cup of butter (SO unlike a Specialtys cookie), 2/3 cup of sugar, and we'll ignore the delicious chocolate chips, these puppies are smack full of good-for-you things. Things I would have never thought to put in a cookie!! Things like: whole oats, ground flax seed, and wheat germ. Are those even allowed in a cookie? Cookies are supposed to come with some remorse, right? But this is a cookie that you might just feel good about eating: guilt-free.


Homemade Specialtys Wheat Germ Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Dick Koz

• 3/4 c. old fashioned whole rolled oats
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. ground flax seeds (I used Bob's Red Mill Organic flaxseed meal, which can be found at most grocery stores)
  
• 1/2 c. raw wheat germ (again, Bob's Red Mill wheat germ)
  
• 1/2 c. sweetened coconut flakes
  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c. mini chocolate chips (you can use regular chocolate chips, but to be true to Specialtys, I used the mini version!)
  
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Mix oats and flour in a medium bowl. Add baking soda and salt and whisk until mixed in. Whisk in wheat germ, flax and coconut. (I actually forgot to add the coconut at this step, and mixed it in at the end with the chocolate chips...but they still turned out well)

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy.
With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnut pieces using a wooden spoon or spatula.
Chill the dough in a refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (Or as long as you can stand... if you haven't noticed already, I am an impatient baker, and I let the cookie dough chill for about 30 minutes...)
In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet (I highly recommend using a Silpat for cookies)

Shape the dough into balls about 2-3 tablespoonfuls per cookie. Place at least 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake cookies, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 12 minutes. Remove baking sheets from the oven immediately and cool the cookies for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks with a spatula to cool.