cranberry compote & whipped ricotta

I’m a big believer in a pre-dinner snack. Whether that’s a photo-worthy cheese board, bowls of nuts and olives, or potato chips straight out of the bag, there needs to be something to snack on while making dinner.  

This is an easy one, but still feels special. You could switch up the fruit, but the basic idea is a creamy base—in this case whole milk ricotta—swirled with something tart and a little bit sweet, topped with olive oil, salt and pepper. I use a food processor to pulse the cranberries before cooking them down into a sauce for a more spreadable consistency, but you could definitely omit this step and enjoy a chunkier compote.  

Cranberry Compote and Whipped Ricotta

I make this sauce based on a whole bag of cranberries, because leaving a half bag of cranberries in my fridge is one way to ensure that I will soon be throwing away a half bag of cranberries. The sauce lasts about a week in the fridge.  

Ingredients:

For the compote:

4 cups cranberries (1 bag)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Zest of 2 oranges (about 2 Tablespoons)

1 pinch salt

For the ricotta:

2 cups ricotta (This is enough to make the dip with half of the cranberry sauce. Double if using full amount.)

2 Tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of salt

Cracked black pepper

Step 1:

Pulse cranberries in a food processor until roughly chopped. The cranberries will continue to break down in the cooking process, so no need to chop them super fine. Transfer to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add water, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.  The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If you’re trying to make this quickly, transfer sauce from the pan to a plate or small sheet tray and allow it to cool in the fridge.

Step 2:

Rinse out your food processor and add the ricotta, olive oil, and salt. Pulse until ricotta is smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, you can whip the ricotta in a bowl with a whisk. The aim here is just to create a smooth texture.  

Step 3:

To serve, plop the whipped ricotta into the center of a large plate or shallow bowl. Spread the ricotta, using the back of a spoon, into a round shape. Plop the cranberry compote into the center of the ricotta. Using the back of a spoon, spread the compote in a circular motion, swirling it into the ricotta. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cracked black pepper and salt.  Enjoy spread on grilled or fried bread.