I get really, really, overly excited about things. More excited than a normal person. And about ordinary things too. Oh my god! Bed Bath and Beyond coupon?! (like they never send them) The T is here! What a cute dog! And the biggest one as of late: I. made. cheese!

Ricotta cheese is so easy to make it’s almost dumbfounding. The only special equipment you need is a thermometer so the milk and cream does not scorch. And it is far, far, far, superior to any sort of ricotta you will find in the supermarket. Since I don’t drink milk, I had some to use up, and thought this was a perfect opportunity.

On this particular lazy Sunday, my loved one and I took a walk around my neighborhood for a few hours, and I prepared the ricotta right before we left. Coming home, I could not contain my excitement, and neither could my taste buds. I was stupefied. All I could muster was this. is. so. good. I was not expecting to be able to so easily make something that could be compared to a dense velvet cloud.

Next time you have some milk and cream to use up, make this. I hope I can feel your excitement from here when you discover it’s wonderment.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Adapted from Tasting Table

Note: I let the ricotta drain for about 4-5 hours, which left me with a very dense, spreadable cheese, almost to the consistency of cream cheese. But I like that and that’s what I was looking for. If you want a less dense cheese, let it sit for 1-2 hours, and then check it, as time goes on, for your desired doneness.

Serving: what didn’t I put this ricotta on? I loved it plain on my spoon, plain on toast, on toast with guava marmalade or molasses and raisins (as you see from the photo above, my heart was so torn that I opted for both), I speculate it would be great with fig jam, olive oil and sea salt, balsamic vinegar, sprinkled with granola, eaten with fresh fruit and honey, dolloped on top of a plate of pasta, on vegetables, in lasagna… seriously, I’m stopping here, the possibilities are endless.

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the side. Heat the milk until it reaches 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

Line a colander with a few layers of either paper towels, cheese cloth, or coffee filters. Pour the liquid into the colander and let it strain until your desired doneness (see note above), up to 5 hours. Discard the liquid. Eat the ricotta immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. It’ll last as long as your milk should have.