Cuccia di Santa Lucia: Sicily's Sacred Wheat Berry Pudding

The night before: cover the wheat berries with cold water in a large bowl and soak for at least 12 hours. Drain and discard the soaking water.

Place the drained wheat berries in a large pot and cover with fresh cold unsalted water by 5 cm. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer.

Simmer for 60–90 minutes, checking from 60 minutes. The berries should be fully tender with a slight bite — no crunch, but not mushy. Drain well.

Spread the drained wheat berries on a baking tray and leave to cool completely at room temperature — at least 30 minutes. They must be fully cold before mixing with the ricotta.

Press the ricotta through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl using the back of a spoon. Work out any lumps — the final texture of the cream depends entirely on this step.

Add the powdered sugar to the sieved ricotta and beat with a wooden spoon or hand whisk for 2 minutes until completely smooth and light.

Stir in the ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and orange flower water if using. Taste and adjust sugar — the cream should be gently sweet, not cloying.

Fold in the finely chopped dark chocolate and candied citrus peel until evenly distributed through the cream.

Add the cooled wheat berries and fold gently with a wide spatula until just combined. Do not overmix — keep the cream airy.

Spoon into individual serving bowls or a large dish, smooth the surface, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight is better.

Serve cold. Dust with a little ground cinnamon and grate dark chocolate generously over the top just before bringing to the table.