Ricotta With Vanilla Sugar Croutons And Berries Recipes

FRESH BERRIES & SWEET RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place the Homemade Ricotta in a medium bowl and stir in the sugar, honey, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours. In another bowl, combine the strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
• When ready to serve, divide the berries among 6 bowls. With an ice cream scoop, place a large dollop of the ricotta in each bowl and drizzle with lots of the Fresh Raspberry Sauce. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and serve.
• Set a fine-mesh sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 pieces of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with a double layer of the cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk and cream into a medium stainless-steel or enameled pot, such as Le Creuset, and stir in the salt. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and pour in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for one minute, until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
• Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 minutes (for soft ricotta) to 25 minutes (for firmer ricotta), occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining liquid. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• The ricotta will keep, refrigerated, for 4 to 5 days.
• Place the raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and the framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Pour into a container and chill. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week.

RICOTTA WITH VANILLA-SUGAR CROUTONS AND BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a medium bowl, toss together the bread cubes and melted butter. Add the vanilla sugar and toss until the bread cubes are coated in sugar. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar to a simmer, over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the blueberries and strawberries and simmer until the fruit softens, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool the syrup to room temperature.
• Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
• To serve: Divide the ricotta mixture between 4 decorative dessert bowls. Spoon the fruit syrup over the ricotta and top with the croutons. Garnish with the sliced mint.
• Place the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthways, and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar. Pulse 10 to 15 times until the vanilla and sugar are combined. Cut the empty vanilla pod into 1-inch pieces and place in a glass mason jar. Add the vanilla sugar to the jar and seal. Shake the jar before using.

RICOTTA WITH VANILLA-SUGAR CROUTONS AND BERRY SYRUP

Steps:

• For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the bread cubes and melted butter. Add the vanilla sugar and toss to coat. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• For the berry syrup: In a small stainless-steel saucepan, bring the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the blueberries and strawberries and simmer until the fruit softens, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool the syrup to room temperature.
• For the ricotta: Combine the ricotta, orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well.
• To serve, divide the ricotta mixture among 4 decorative dessert bowls. Spoon the berry syrup over the ricotta and top with the croutons. Garnish with the mint sprigs or leaves.
• Pour the sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar. Pulse 10 to 15 times, until the vanilla and sugar are combined. Put the empty vanilla pod into a glass Mason jar. Add the vanilla sugar to the jar and seal. The sugar will keep for at least 3 months. Shake the jar before using.

FRESH BERRIES WITH RICOTTA CREAM

Steps:

• Purée strawberries with apple juice in a blender until smooth. Spoon equal amounts of berry sauce into 4 cocktail or parfait glasses. Combine ricotta cream ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Spoon 1/4 of the ricotta cream into each glass and top with 1/4 cup strawberry slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish each with a mint sprig and an edible flower, if desired, before serving.

BLUEBERRY RICOTTA SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch square baking dish.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, and baking powder. Add the milk, shortening, 1 egg, and lemon extract, and use an electric mixer to mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 1 minute. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Sprinkle blueberries over the batter.
• In a medium bowl, stir together 2 beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract. Spoon this mixture over the blueberries, and spread evenly.
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

RICOTTA BERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a deep 9-inch pie plate.
• Whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Whisk ricotta cheese and milk together in a small bowl until smooth.
• Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and beat until very light, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts; beat until blended. Scrape down sides with a spatula. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and ricotta mixture to the batter, beating briefly between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top with the spatula. Sprinkle strawberries and blueberries over the top. Press very gently into the batter. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Cover with foil when top starts to brown. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

LUSCIOUS AMARETTO RICOTTA WITH BERRIES (LOW FAT)

Steps:

• Combine berries with lemon juice and sugar. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will allow a syrup to develop.
• Mix ricotta ingredients together. This may be done in a food processor, if a finer texture is desired.
• Serve berries over a scoop of the ricotta. Serving it in a martini or other decorative glass makes for a nice presentation.