Ricotta Kisses, Italian Style, For Your Honey on Valentine’s  

Easy to whip up and yummy to eat, this will certainly be a treat for you and your honey. Celebrate Valentine’s here in the good ole’ US of A with an Italian twist (Baci Di Ricotta). This recipe can make about 30-40 kisses and goes very well with coffee, espresso or even a nice liqueur.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 Tsp. vanilla extract –but this can vary like almond, rum, liquorish, etc. Use your imagination.
• 1/2 C. flour (best to use unbleached flour but all purpose also will do)
• 1 ½ Tsp. baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Tblsp. sugar (superfine is the best but regular if sifted is OK)
• 1/2 Tsp. ground cinnamon but again you can vary like nutmeg, etc.
• Grated orange or lemon zest (optional)
• Vegetable oil for frying—I use Canola oil
• Confectioner’s sugar for last minute dusting

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl and with a whisk (or you can use your electric beater) beat the egg and then add the ricotta and extract.
• Place the dry ingredients in a sifter
• When the liquid mixture is blended till smooth sift in the dry ingredients and mix again so that you have a smooth batter.
• Next is the slightly tricky part, but fear not, you can do it.
• Pour the canola oil in a large skillet so that there is about 3/4 inch of oil in it and heat oil over medium heat till the oil is about 350F degrees if you have a candy thermometer, or when you drop a small piece of bread in the oil, the bread will be browned in 40 seconds or so. At this point, test one kiss to see that it does not brown too fast and too much. If it does, turn the heat down, wait a minute and try another kiss. You want your oil to be just perfect heat wise. Visually, your kisses should puff and turn golden brown on one side after about one minute—and then when you turn it over with a slotted spoon, it should brown in another minute.
• Place about 5 or 6 kisses at one time in your pan so that you are not overwhelmed.
• When your kisses are browned nicely, place them on a paper toweled lined platter to drain.
• Let them rest for several minutes; pile them on a pretty platter in a rough pyramid and sprinkle, through a fine-meshed sieve, some confectioner’s sugar over them.
• Happy Valentine’s and Buon Appetito.
• These kisses are best devoured immediately; however you can pop them, PRE-SUGARED, on a wire rack over a cookie sheet in a 300F oven and keep them warm for up to 1 hour.
• As well, I have stored left-over’s in my refrigerator in a closed container and then the next day reheated them on some foil in a 300F oven for about 10 minutes and they certainly still tasted good; not as good as when first cooked but good enough. So, don’t throw those left-over’s away—that is if you have any.