Ricotta is a fresh whey-based cheese that can be made from cow’s or sheep’s milk. It has a light, milky flavour and can be used in savoury and sweet dishes which makes it an especially versatile ingredient, perfect for family style home cooking. 

I incorporated about 300 grams of full cream ricotta into the muffins pictured above, which resulted in a softly textured, wholesome muffin ideal as an after school snack, an addition to school lunch boxes or a deliciously different weekend breakfast option. 

Unlike some of the washed rind soft cheeses, ricotta is low in fat making it ideal for people on a weight loss diet or for those just wanting to keep their consumption of fat to a minimum for health reasons. 

Unfortunately, ricotta does not have a long shelf life because of its low fat content, so it is best to buy smaller quantities often and finish off your stash within three days of purchasing. 

In my household, ricotta barely makes it past day one because all of my children adore eating it. Spooned over bolognese sauce, swirled through scrambled eggs, spread thickly on top of breakfast toast with sliced seasonal fruit or scoped into bowls and eaten as is with a spoon, ricotta is a regular item on our twice weekly grocery shop. 

Ricotta, Coconut and Banana Muffins makes 18 large muffins

Ingredients
3 large eggs
100 ml light olive oil – I use the Australian Cobram Estate brand which has a mild flavour and is ideal for using in baked goods. 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
300 g full cream ricotta
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 heaped cups self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees conventional setting. I baked these muffins on a lower heat for a longer time, because I wanted them to retain the moisture and softness of the ricotta which is the key ingredient. 

Put all of the WET ingredients in a mixing bowl, including the bananas and ricotta, and gently beat together using a hand whisk or mixing spoon until combined. 

Add all of the DRY ingredients and mix together until just combined. Do not overwork your mixture, otherwise you will end up with hard, stiff muffins.  

Scoop heaped tablespoonfuls into muffin cases. I bought these lovely paper inserts from my local Coles supermarket. They manage to make my baked goods look professional! Bake the muffins for about 35 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through (you can insert a skewer into one of the muffins and if it comes out cleanly, then your batch is ready.