070 / 75 · Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Baked Vanilla Ricotta with Roasted Plums

4 individual ricotta custards, about 190 g each before baking, plus one-quarter of the plums per serving · Active 20 min · Cook 35 min · Total 1 hr 5 min

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Baking ricotta with yogurt and eggs makes a soft, lightly sweetened individual custard with a fine cheese texture. The plum wedges roast in their own dish alongside it, keeping their bright juices separate until serving. Four ramekins make the batch straightforward to prepare and chill. Serve one warm after its short rest, or enjoy a chilled custard later with the fruit spooned over just before eating.

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An individual baked vanilla ricotta custard in a ramekin with roasted purple plum wedges and their juices.

Smooth the cheese without whipping it

Stir any loose whey back into the ricotta before weighing. Mash the cheese with the yogurt, honey and vanilla until it is evenly combined, then fold in the beaten eggs. A fork and a flexible spatula are enough. Avoid whisking vigorously after the eggs go in: a thick layer of foam rises in the oven and settles into a rough surface. Ricotta retains a little fine grain even after mixing, so expect a tender baked-cheese texture rather than a completely silky pouring custard.

Four shallow portions bake evenly

Use four oven-safe ramekins that each hold 10 fluid ounces, or 300 ml, when filled to the rim. The mixture weighs roughly 190 g per ramekin and should leave at least half an inch of space above it. Stand them on a rimmed baking sheet so they can be moved together without tipping. Start checking the centers at 25 minutes. The edges should be set and the center should give a gentle wobble when nudged, with no liquid ripple. Check each center with a thermometer before removing the tray; color at the rim is not the final test.

Keep the plum juice for the last spoonful

Quarter the plums after removing the stones, then share the measured honey across them. A separate roasting dish lets their juice concentrate without watering down the custards. Ripe fruit may soften before the cheese is ready, so remove either tray as soon as its own component is done. Let the custards rest for ten minutes before adding the plums. If you are preparing them for another evening, chill the two parts separately and spoon the fruit over only when serving. That keeps the top intact and makes the juice look as bright as it tastes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups part-skim ricotta (500 g)
  • 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (120 g)
  • 2 large eggs, without shells (100 g), beaten
  • 3 tablespoons honey (63 g), divided:42 g for custards and 21 g for plums
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml/5 g)
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine salt (0.75 g)
  • 4 large ripe plums, stoned and quartered (400 g edible weight)
  • 1 teaspoon unsalted butter (5 g), for greasing the ramekins

Set out

Four oven-safe 10 fl oz/300 ml ramekins, Rimmed baking sheet, Small shallow roasting dish for plums, Mixing bowl, fork and flexible spatula, Kitchen scale, Instant-read food thermometer, Oven mitts

Allergens

Milk, Egg. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C with racks in the middle and upper third. Divide the butter across the bases and sides of the four ramekins and stand them on the rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Stir ricotta and yogurt together with a fork, then mix in 42 g honey, vanilla and salt. Fold in the beaten eggs until evenly combined without beating in foam. Divide equally among the ramekins, about 190 g each, leaving at least 1/2 inch/1.3 cm below the rim.
  3. Arrange the plum quarters in one layer in the separate roasting dish. Drizzle them with the remaining 21 g honey. Put the custard tray on the middle rack and the plum dish on the upper rack.
  4. Bake the custards for 25–35 minutes, checking from 25 minutes, until the edges are set, the centers wobble gently without a liquid ripple, and the center of every custard reaches at least 160°F/71°C. Roast the plums for 20–25 minutes, until tender with juices collecting in the dish. Remove either component when ready, using oven mitts.
  5. Rest the custards for 10 minutes. Divide all the plums and their juices equally over the four custards and serve one ramekin per person. The ramekins remain hot, so set each on a small plate.

A prepared dessert for a busy evening

Leave the fruit in a separate lidded container when preparing the custards ahead. A single chilled ramekin can then be finished at the table, while the remaining portions stay covered in the refrigerator. There is no need to rewarm the entire batch for one dessert.

A useful detail

Use oven-safe ramekins of the stated capacity; smaller cups need more containers and different baking times. The ricotta mixture is about 770 g in total. Both trays bake at the same temperature, but check each component separately.

Another way

  • Replace the 400 g prepared plums with 400 g ripe apricot quarters, checking the fruit after 15 minutes.
  • Use 2 teaspoons/4 g finely grated orange zest instead of vanilla for an orange-scented custard.

Keep it well

Cool the ramekins and fruit briefly, then refrigerate separately at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 2 days. Serve safely chilled, or reheat the custard gently until its center reaches 165°F/74°C; keep the fruit separate until serving. Do not freeze for this serving texture.