Baci Di Ricotta

As so often happens, someone mentions a Nigella Lawson recipe and I immediately want to make it. This time it was a recipe from Feast and one that I wonder WHY I have taken so long to revisit. Actually, the discussion about this particular recipe was due to an issue with the tasty tidbits coming out doughy. I hadn't recalled this being an issue, but thought, the only way to be sure, was to give it a go myself.

The ever so romantically titled Baci Di Ricotta are somewhat doughnut like, and yet ever so easy to make, and dreadfully easy to eat, offensively easy to eat actually. As an extra special treat this was what I served up for breakfast today along with some fresh berries and glasses of milk. As it was a school and kinder day the children were happily surprised at the change in routine from their usual breaky. The fact that I was willing to make these on a Friday morning will give you an idea of just how easy these are to bring together.


Baci Di Ricotta

200g ricotta
2 eggs
75g plain flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
vegetable or corn oil for frying
2 teaspoons icing sugar to serve


Put the ricotta and eggs into a bowl and beat together, Nigella says to do this until smooth, but I just use a fork and there are small lumps of ricotta that I don't bother about. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture to make a smoothish batter (again allowing for small ricotta bits).

Fill a wide, shallow pan with about 2cm of oil. Heat the pan of oil until a tiny bit of batter sizzles when dropped into the hot fat.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the ricotta batter into the pan, I did two batches, one of 15 one of 16 (which means I was pretty on target for the right size - YAY). Now, Nigella suggests you need to turn them quickly, but curiously I found MY kisses (which is baci yeah?) turned themselves over when cooked. You're aiming for a golden brown colour no matter if it is you, or your batter itself turning them onto the second side.

Pop the Baci Di Ricotta onto some paper towel to drain. Then pile them onto a plate, and sprinkle over the icing sugar (and I sprinkled a little more cinnamon too).

And to the best comment, from Nigella herself "Eat straightaway. As if?"

Makes 30 (31 for me)

You like?
Now, please appreciate the risk I took here. The lovely light balls of sugar and spice were being snaffled up at an alarming pace - I BRAVELY dived in and stole the plate away for one final photo so you might view the delicate inner kiss!