Baked Crepes With Ricotta Recipes

BAKED CREPES WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place the ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve or colander lined with cheesecloth. Cover with plastic wrap and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.
• Make the crepes.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Brush an 11 x 8 inch baking dish with some melted butter.
• In large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and eggs together until pale yellow and smooth. Add the ricotta, lemon zest, and nutmeg and beat lightly until blended. Fold in the raisins.
• Place a crepe, lacy side down, on the work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup of ricotta mixture over the crepe and roll the crepe up like a jelly roll. Place the crepe, seam side down, in the buttered baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes and filling, arranging them side by side in the dish.
• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining melted butter and the liqueur together until blended and pour over the crepes. Bake until the filling is warmed through and the liquid in the dish is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Transfer the crepes to serving plates, spooning some of the butter sauce over each serving. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

BAKED CHEESE CREPES

Steps:

• Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat a 6-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Brush the skillet with some butter. Working quickly, pour 3 tablespoons of the egg mixture into the pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan evenly. Cover and cook until the egg crepe is just set, about 1 minute. Invert the skillet over a plate, and allow the egg crepe to drop onto the plate. Repeat to make 10 crepes total, brushing the skillet with melted butter as needed and stacking crepes on the plate.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange 1 egg crepe on a work surface. Place some of the fontina and mozzarella cheese in the center of the egg crepe, then sprinkle with some basil. Roll up the crepe. Place the filled crepe in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining egg crepes, cheese, and basil. Spoon the marinara sauce over the crepes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake until the cheese melts and the top is golden, about 15 minutes.
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves
• In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)
• Yield: 2 quarts
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

CREPES WITH RICOTTA FILLING

Steps:

• Slightly beat the eggs.
• Add the milk, water, sugar and salt to the beaten egg.
• Combine the flour and the baking powder and sift into the egg mixture.
• Add 2 tbsp. melted butter.
• Whisk together the batter ingredients until very smooth. The batter should resemble the consistency of 35% cream.
• Let rest for at least 1 hour.
• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet on medium heat and lightly brush with melted butter.
• Pour approximately 3 tbsp. of batter into the center of the pan and swirl around the pan to make a thin pancake.
• Watch carefully and cook approximately 1 minute.
• When the crepe is golden, flip it over and cook another 30 seconds.
• Remove to a plate.
• Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine ricotta, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir.
• Divide the filling among the 10 crepes and roll them up.
• Put them in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch buttered baking dish.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until warmed through.
• Dot the crepes with butter and cover with foil.
• Serve with maple syrup or blueberry sauce (see separate recipe for wild blueberry sauce).

STRAWBERRY-FILLED RICOTTA CREPES

Steps:

• Combine milk, flour, ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and almond extract in a blender; process until smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
• Heat an 8-inch omelette pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Lightly spray the hot pan with nonstick spray and melt a little butter in it. Pour 1/3 cup batter into the hot pan. Wait a few seconds, then slowly tilt the pan in all directions until the bottom surface and part of the sides are coated. Cook until top surface is dry and the edges release easily with the tip of a pairing knife; this will happen quickly.
• Place 2 tablespoons sliced strawberries directly in the center of each crepe while still in the pan. Fold crepe into quarters and transfer to a plate to serve. Cook remaining batter the same way; be sure to stir the batter each time because it settles quickly.

STRAWBERRY RICOTTA CREPES

Steps:

• For the crepes batter: Stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, water, eggs and melted butter in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the flour mixture. Blend just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender carafe. Let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, if time allows.
• For the filling: Combine the sliced strawberries and 2 tablespoons of honey in a medium bowl. Refrigerate 30 minutes, if time allows.
• Beat the drained fresh ricotta with the remaining 3 tablespoons honey, mint and lemon zest in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until light and smooth.
• Heat a nonstick crepe pan or large nonstick saute pan over a medium flame. Spray with the cooking spray. Ladle about 2 ounces of the crepe batter into the center of the pan and swirl. When the center begins to set, flip with a spatula and continue cooking until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining crepe batter (it will make 8 to 10 crepes).
• Fill the crepes with the ricotta mixture and roll up. Spoon the strawberries over the crepes. Dust with the confectioners' sugar.

CRESPELLE WITH RICOTTA AND MARINARA ( CREPES )

Steps:

• Make the crespelle:
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt.
• In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk.
• Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.
• Whisk in the melted butter until just blended.
• Cover the batter and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat.
• With a paper towel, rub the skillet with olive oil.
• Pour in 1/4 cup of the crespelle batter and tilt the skillet to distribute the batter.
• Cook the crespella until golden brown on the bottom, 2 minutes.
• Flip and cook until browned in spots, 1 minute longer.
• Invert the crespella onto a baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining batter, rubbing the pan with oil as needed.
• You should have 8 crespelle.
• Make the filling:
• Preheat the oven to 375°.
• In a medium bowl, blend the ricotta with the chopped parsley and 1/3 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Season the filling with salt and pepper.
• Lay the 8 crespelle on a work surface.
• Spread 2 rounded tablespoons of the ricotta filling over half of each crespella.
• Fold the crespelle over the filling, then fold them in half again to form quarters.
• Spread half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Arrange the filled crespelle in the dish in a single layer, overlapping them slightly.
• Top with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling; serve.

RICOTTA CHEESE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan.
• Make yellow cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into the greased 9x13 inch pan.
• Mix together the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and spoon over cake batter.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes. Sprinkle cake with confectioners' sugar when cool.