Until a summer ago, I was a newbie to ricotta ice cream. I tried it in a cheese making class I took with my sister and it changed everything. I was no longer sure what my favorite ice cream was. I had never tried something that delicious in my life. But the devastating part of all this was that I was without an ice cream machine at that time. Life without an ice cream machine was just sad. So many ice cream combinations out there to try but no way to quench the thirst. Imagine my excitement when I got a new ice cream machine for Christmas. Without a doubt ricotta ice cream would be the first ice cream recipe to try. The first step was to make the ricotta and the candied orange. Both took some time to make but they were well worth the extra effort. I think that the homemade ricotta was the most important step because there really is nothing like the sweet and fresh taste of homemade cheese. Also, homemade ricotta is quite easy to put together. I really am thankful to Sur la Table for introducing me to this recipe. I can see myself coming back to it time after time and it’s a fool proof recipe to try out on your dinner guests. Even those who claim to hate ricotta.

Ricotta Ice cream with Dark Chocolate and Candied Orange (Sur La Table)

2-1/2 cups ricotta cheese, preferably homemade
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla paste
Zest of 2 lemons
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup dark chocolate, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 ounce candied orange peel, chopped

Prepare the candied orange peel: cut the tops and bottoms off three navel oranges. Slice the orange rind from the oranges with a vegetable peeler, being careful not to remove too much of the pith. Slice the rind into 1/8-inch lengthwise strips.
Place the orange rind in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat over medium heat until water boils. Drain the orange rinds through a fine-mesh strainer, cover with cold water again, and repeat boiling and draining process. Drain once more and set orange rind aside.
Place 2 ¼ cup granulate sugar and ¾ cup water in the same saucepan and heat over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until sugar dissolves completely. Reduce heat to medium-low and add orange rind, making sure it is submerged in the sugar mixture. Simmer until the rind is translucent, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the rind through a fine-mesh strainer and discard sugar mixture.
Place about ½ cup sugar in a shallow dish and roll the rind in it to coat. Place coated rind on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and dry for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the ice cream: in the bowl of a food processor, place ricotta, sugar, vanilla paste, and lemon zest and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl, add cream and process again until thoroughly blended.
Transfer ricotta mixture to an ice cream machine and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Before serving, stir in the chocolate and candied orange peel.