This is one of my favorite midday snacks and also desserts. No measured
amounts, I'm afraid, as I just eyeball it.

You need a small bowl and a spoon, plus a handful of dry-roasted
almonds, perhaps a tablespoon of maple syrup, about 3 tablespoons of
ricotta (or yogurt or sour cream) and a few shakes of ground cinnamon.

In a small bowl, e.g., I use a soup bowl, cover the bottom with a layer
of dry-roasted almonds. I prefer and therefore use unsalted

Pour the maple syrup in, enough so that the almonds can soak it up a
bit. You may continue right away or let the almonds soak in the maple
syrup for a few minutes but don't let them soak for too long or they'll
get mushy.

Add a couple of health dollops of ricotta cheese. I use an organic,
whole milk "ricotta" that, by strict definition, is actually paneer and
not ricotta, but that's not important here. You could try it with other
dairy products of a similar texture, e.g., I'm sure this would work very
nicely with thick yogurt, and I've made it with sour cream - talk about
rich, oh my, sour cream...

Sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top - start with a little and find out
how much you like. Too much alters the flavor of the dish for the worse
but a small amount does wonders. Maybe 3 shakes from a commercial bottle
of ground cinnamon.

If you like, and I like, add a small amount of coffee, perhaps 1/2 to 1
teaspoon. I use espresso, preferably what's sitting in a cup I didn't
finish earlier in the day, but it's a small enough amount that adding it
hot won't be a problem. The coffee makes only a small difference in the
taste and can easily be left out - and if you don't like coffee, you
probably should leave it out.

Stir until thoroughly mixed and enjoy right away.

The above is one serving for me.

The inspiration for this was desserts my wife and I had when we were in
Greece - yogurt, nuts, and honey. You could substitute honey for the
maple syrup here if you prefer.

-S-