This, will make you think you hear the angels sing when you eat this. It is so yummy. I have made this twice and, believe me, there weren’t even crumbs left. It is also called a Sicilian Cassata.
- 2 lbs. fresh ricotta, whole milk *
- 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate wafers, chopped
- 1 cup candied gumdrops (ones for baking)
- 1 10 inch sponge cake (homemade is best-store bought barely okay)
Place the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve and set over a bowl. Place in the refrigerator overnight to allow excess moisture to drain out.
In your mixer with a paddle attachment, place the ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix the now drained and beaten ricotta with 1 cup of the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and gumdrops. Set aside.
Lightly oil a 10 inch springform pan. Slice the sponge cake very thinly so that the pan may be lined with an even layer. Line the sides and bottom of the pan with the sponge cake. Pour the ricotta filling into the pan. Place the final layer of cake over the filling. This now creates the bottom of the cassata. For now, refrigerate overnight to firm up the filling.
Invert onto a wide platter. Remove the springform sides and bottom. Now cover with the remaining icing sugar (it should be like a heavy snow). Slice thinly and serve.
* the dry ricotta style would not be the right one to use.
Lime Delight Cheesecake
These are two things I really love….limes and cheesecake. This is soooo smooth and delicious you won’t believe that it is light in the calorie department, but it is. You can actually have two slices at one time, if you want to.
- 16 graham wafers, broken
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. lime zest
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1 pkg. regular cream cheese
- 2 pkg. light cream cheese
- 1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. lime zest
- 3 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. icing sugar
- 1/4 cup 2% plain Greek Yogurt
- 4 limes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Candied Lime Zest
Use a vegetable peeler and peel strips off the limes, without the pith, from end to end. Cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch strips. In a skillet, bring 2 cups of water to the boil and boil the strips for 1 minute. Drain and set the strips aside.
In the same skillet, bring 1 cup water and sugar to the boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add the lime strips and reduce the heat. Cook until they become transluscent (10 minutes). Drain, discarding the syrup. Place the strips on a rack over waxed paper and let dry (12 hours).
Graham Crust
Grease the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan . Line the sides with parchment paper. Center the pan on a large square of tin foil and press the foil up the side of the pan.
Process the graham crackers with the sugar to make a cup of fine crumbs. Add the butter and lime zest and pulse until just moistened. Press over the base of the prepared pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool down.
Filling
Drain the cottage cheese over a bowl for 30 minutes and shake to remove any excess liquid.
In a processor, whirl the cottage cheese until paste consistency. Add the cream cheeses and yogurt and process until smooth for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl often. Add the sugar, lime zest and juice, and vanilla processing until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, pulsing after each one. Spread this now over the crumb base and smooth the top with an off-set spatula.
Set the pan inside a larger pan. Set on the oven shelf and add anough hot waterto come up 1 inch on the side of the smaller pan.( Doing it this way avoids spilling of water or getting burned.)
Bake in a 300 degree oven until the shine has disappeared and the edge is set (the center still jiggle slightly). This should take 1 1/2 hours.
Turn off the oven and leave the door open. Let cake stand in a warm oven for about 1 hour. Remove from the water and transfer to a rack. Remove the tin foil and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours.
Topping
Whip the cream with the sugar and fold in the yogurt. Spread over the top of the cake and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the side of the pan and arrange the candied lime zest around the outer edge of the cheesecake.
This, my friends, will take you over the top in the dessert department.
Ricotta Pancakes With Yummy Apples
This yummy breakfast will make everyone happy-happy-happy. It is made with ricotta cheese and therefore, rather light
- 1 2/3 cups ricotta cheese
- 3 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup flour (sifted)
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (sifted)
- pinch of salt
- 3 egg whites
- enough butter for pan
In a bowl combine the ricotta, egg yolks and milk. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.
In another bowl beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold into the ricotta batter.
In a skillet melt butter and add 3 tbsp. of the batter. Cook until golden on each side. Repeat until all batter is used up. Keep warm.
Caramelized Apples
4 medium granny smith apples, unpeeled and sliced thinly
1/2 freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cups icing sugar (sifted)
3 tbsp. whipping cream
In a bowl toss the apples and lime juice. In a small saucepan, cook the sugar until caramelized and golden in colour. Add the apples and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Top the pancakes with the apples amd serve immediately.
I told you they were yummy.
Penne With Ricotta and Tomatoes
This is a nice light lunch for warmer days in the Spring.
- 30 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 limes, zest only
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
- 1 2/3 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp. grated asiago cheese
In a bowl combine the fresh tomatoes, thyme, garlic, sugar and half the olive oil, lime zest, salt and pepper
In a skillet, heat the remaining oil. Add the cherry tomato mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the confit from the heat and set aside to cool down to room temperature.
In another bowl, combine the sundried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta al dente. Drain.
Add the tomato confit and the cheese mixture and toss to coat. This will serve 4 for a main course or 6-8 as an appetizer.
Serve with a chilled glass of wine, garlic toast, yummy.
Lemon Ricotta Donuts With A Dipping Sauce
If you are going to be bad….then be really bad! Just kidding, these are not as ‘bad’ as you might first think.
- Liquid honey for coating the donuts
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 large lemon, zest only
- 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
- Crisco oil, to fill a large pot
Prepare a separate dish with a thin layer of honey and set aside. Add the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix really well. Put this batter in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for one hour. While waiting for this long hour to pass, make the sauce below.
Now the batter has chilled,. heat the pot of oil to 300 degrees. Using a small metal ice cream scoop, carefully scoop 2 tbsp. of the batter into the boiling oil. You can place 6-7 donuts at a time. Leave them in the oil for about 4 minutes, turning them over to cook evenly. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the oil and place in the honey bowl. Swirl the donuts to cover.
Serve these on plates (3 per person) and an individual sauce boat of the dipping sauce on each plate.
Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped.
Bring the cream to a soft boil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined, melted and completely smooth . Drizzle a small amount over the donuts that are on the plate and pour some into small sauce boats and serve to your guests.
To be a really cool host…serve with a well chilled Riesling wine.
Ha! You did it again.
Crab Ravioli With Lemon Butter
I love all kinds of pasta and I love Crab. Together they are a winning combination. Add a salad, roll, glass of wine and Mama Mia you have a wonderful, tasty dinner.
Filling
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 cup lump crabmeat
- coarse salt and pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 pkg. wonton wrappers (90 pieces required)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Mix together the ricotta, crabneat, pinch of salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Lightly flour a baking sheet and arrange 45 wrappers on a work surface. Keep the remaining 45 wrappers under a damp towel so they won’t dry out. Mound 1 tsp. of the crabmeat in the center. Brush the edges with eggwash and put the remaining wrappers on top. Press the edges to seal. Cut out the circles with a 2 1/4 inch cookie cutter.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a few of ravioli at a time, cooking until they rise to the top (about 3 minutes).
Sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Melt 4 tbsp. of butter in a skillet. Add the ravioli as well as 2 tbsp. of the boiling water. Add the lemon zest and peel and stir to cover.
Serve with a salad, roll and a glass of Chardonnay – well chilled, of course.
Seconds anyone?
Cookies, Italian and Others
With great anticipation of our grandkids coming for a visit with their Mom in a couple of weeks, other company coming and going to a concert, I thought I would bake a little to get ahead.
Well…..I have been baking almost all day as the recipes I was using will not work in a convection oven. So…..
Don sampled these and proclaimed they are almost as good as my chocolate chip. WOW! That is, indeed, high praise.
Cookies from Italy
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 scant cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup skinned pistachios
- 1/2 cup chopped, dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on your cookie sheets and set aside.
Together in a bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla (NO, it hasn’t curdled), gently stir in the flour mixture, pistachios and cranberries.
Drop by heaping teaspoons on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake 14 minutes and remove to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- zest from 1 large orange
- 3 tbsp. fresh orange juice (from same orange works great)
Stir until smooth and drizzle 1 teaspoon over each cookie. Store in air tight container at room temperature or freeze up to 2 weeks.
These are so darn good…different from the norm…..go ahead, say it…’damn I can do this’….