A Lovely Leftover

Last week I had some leftover ricotta cheese in the fridge and didn't want to toss it. I know I could've made ricotta cheese cake or manicotti and been done with it, but I was feeling more adventurous. I wound up on a site called The Cookbook Junkie, which offered a recipe for Lemon-Ricotta Muffins from Good Housekeeping in 1999. I was sold.

And I was surprised, too, because for a clean-out-the-fridge effort, this one was great. I'd have been happy if the muffins had turned out fine. But they're actually delicious. Light and citrus-y (I used both lemon and lime zest) and just a touch more substantial than your average muffin. The ricotta lends creaminess to the inside of the muffins, and with an ample amount of sugar on top, the muffins have slightly crunchy and glittery lids. And unlike many homemade muffins, they don't get soggy after a day.

My advice: don't wait for leftover ricotta.--S