Savory Ricotta Pudding Recipes

SAVORY RICOTTA PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-inch baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and ricotta in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the cream, milk, 1 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper. The mixture will be a little lumpy.
• Pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the chile and remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Cover the dish with foil and place it in a roasting pan. Add enough tepid water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the custard is just set, about 1 1/2 hours.

CHOCOLATE RICOTTA PUDDING

Steps:

• This is a serious childhood throwback for me. I have a memory of my mother taking this out of the oven and I could smell the chocolate and the almonds more than anything else. So delicious.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use the butter to thoroughly grease the bottom and sides of a 1 quart loaf pan.
• Add the 2 whole eggs to a small pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium heat. When the water boils, lower the heat to a simmer and cook the eggs for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and run them under cold water to stop them from overcooking.
• In a medium bowl add the ricotta and whisk until free of lumps. Add the sugar, rum, chocolate and almonds and stir to blend. Set aside.
• Peel the hard-boiled eggs and put the yolks through a small strainer to break them into small bits. Add the egg yolks to the ricotta mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the 2 egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture with a rubber spatula, retaining as much fluffiness as possible. Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan. Put the pan into a shallow water bath and bake, undisturbed, for 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and the water bath. Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with a touch of lemon zest and some chocolate over each individual portion.

RICOTTA PUDDING

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat together the ricotta and sugar, then add liqueur. Taste and add more sugar or liqueur as desired. Divide among 6 glass ramekins or other small bowls and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve, dusted with a little powdered cocoa.

SWEET RICOTTA PUDDING WITH ROASTED GRAPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in middle and lower third.
• Butter a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate with some of butter, then spread bread crumbs in plate to coat.
• Blend ricotta, eggs, cinnamon, salt, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into pie plate and sprinkle with nuts. Bake in middle of oven until puffed, golden, and just set, about 25 minutes. Cool pudding on a rack.
• While pudding bakes, toss grapes with remaining butter, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and vinegar in a small shallow baking pan and let macerate.
• Increase oven temperature to 425°F.
• Roast grapes in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until tender but not falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool grapes until just warm and serve alongside pudding.

CHOCOLATE RICOTTA PUDDING

Steps:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat semisweet chocolate chips in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
• In a food processor, process 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese until smooth. Add chocolate; process until combined, scraping bowl as needed.
• Divide among four dishes. (Can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day; serve at room temperature.)

FLAX AND RICOTTA BREAKFAST PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix first three ingredients together in a saucepan.
• Cook stirring over medium heat until thick.
• Add Flax and splenda.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon.

SLOW-BAKED SAVORY RICOTTA PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 2-quart soufflé dish or an 8- or 9-inch cheesecake pan with oil, and dust with 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Combine the remaining ingredients, including the remaining Par-mesan, in a bowl, and mix until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a bit of set batter clinging to it, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool to warm room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cover with a serving plate, invert and shake slightly to release the pudding, and remove the baking pan. Slice to serve.From Homemade In A Hurry. Text copyright © 2006 by Andrew Schloss. Cover photograph copyright © 2006 by Noel Barnhurst. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

SAVORY STRATA (BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Rub olive oil on the peppers and roast them at 350 degrees for about a half hour, until they are soft and have started to color. When they are cool, slice into strips, discarding the seeds and stem. Set aside.
• Cook bacon (preferably in the microwave, between layers of papertowel). Do not overcook. The bacon should not be brittle. When cool, chop into medium sized pieces. Set aside.
• Melt half the butter, and cook the sliced mushrooms about ten minutes, until they give up their liquid. Set aside.
• Melt the rest of the butter and slowly cook the onions and garlic until they are translucent and soft. Set aside.
• This will work best with a good quality, crusty bread. Cut it into slices about an inch thick. If it's not stale, lightly toast the slices.
• Butter the bottom of a large casserole. First put down one layer of bread (break up as necessary), and then layer the following in a way that appeals to you: cheese, peppers, bacon, onions, mushrooms. You should have enough for three full layers of each ingredient, but if you don't, it doesn't matter.
• Beat the eggs with the milk, half and half, salt and pepper to taste, and the tarragon. Some people prefer basil, but I like the contrast of the tarragon to the cheese.
• Slowly pour this mixture over the layered casserole. You have to give the layers of bread time to soak up the mixture, so don't rush this. When you're finished, a finger pressed into the top should cause liquid to bubble up. If that doesn't happen, add more milk or half and half.
• Cover with a layer of grated cheese.
• Baked covered casserole in a 375 oven for about forty-five minutes. Take the lid off the casserole and bake for another twenty minutes until pressing the flat of a spoon into the top of the casserole does not cause liquid to well up. It's done when the top is crispy and browned.
• Let this sit for twenty minutes to half an hour before serving. It will be very, very hot.
• I serve this with a green salad and fruit.

SLOW-BAKED SAVORY RICOTTA PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 2-quart soufflé dish or an 8- or 9-inch cheesecake pan with oil, and dust with 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Combine the remaining ingredients, including the remaining Par-mesan, in a bowl, and mix until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a bit of set batter clinging to it, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool to warm room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cover with a serving plate, invert and shake slightly to release the pudding, and remove the baking pan. Slice to serve.From Homemade In A Hurry. Text copyright © 2006 by Andrew Schloss. Cover photograph copyright © 2006 by Noel Barnhurst. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.