Cuccia (Sicilian Ricotta Dessert)
Cuccìa is a delicious Sicilian dessert traditionally made on December 13th to celebrate Santa Lucia. It's made with cooked wheatberries (grano cotto) sweetened with ricotta, sugar, chocolate chips, candied fruit and cinnamon. It's so delicious and perfect for celebrating the festive season!
Servings: 8 - 10 servings
Ingredients
If using raw wheat grain
- 1 cup (200g) raw wheat berries
- Peel of 1 orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
- salt
If using Grano Cotto (pre-cooked wheatberries)
- 1 jar Grano Cotto (580g/20.5oz)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Peel of 1 orange
- Whole milk
Mixture
- 2 cups (500g) ricotta drained
- 3/4 cup (150g) caster sugar (can also use granulated)
- 1/2 cup (100g) dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (100g) chopped candied fruit plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus extra for garnish
- candied cherries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
If using raw wheat grain
- Soak the wheat in a bowl of water for 24 hours.
- Drain the wheat then add to a large pot. Add cold water and cover the grain by 2-3inches then add the orange peel, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt.
- Bring it to a boil then cover with a lid and cook for 60-70 minutes. Some wheat can take up to 2 hours so I recommend testing it after 1 hour then every so often until tender.
- Drain and let cool.
If using Grano Cotto
- Drain the grano cotto in a sieve and rinse it under cold running water.
- Add it to a saucepan with the peel of 1 orange and 1 cinnamon stick. Cover the wheatberries with milk until just covered then bring up to a simmer.
- Simmer the wheatberries on low for 10 minutes, stirring often. Drain the wheatberries and spread them in a thin layer to cool completely.
Make the Cuccia mixture
- Add the drained ricotta, sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and mix until well combined. Add the chocolate chips, candied fruit and cooled wheat.
- Mix everything together until well combined then serve in small bowls topped with extra canned fruit and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Video
Notes
- Draining the ricotta - I drain the ricotta while making the grano cotto mixture. By the time it has cooled the ricotta has drained enough. You can also drain the ricotta overnight in the fridge the day before
- Optional extras/variations - chopped pistachios or hazelnuts are a great addition to Cuccia, you can add them to taste. You can also add pistachio cream or hazelnut spread into the mix or drizzle it on top (pistachio cream is my fave with this).
- Sweetness - you can add more sugar to taste if you prefer it sweeter.
- Storage - Cuccia will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 1mg
