Ricotta Pie

I stumbled across this recipe in one of my many recipe binders.  It was one that I clipped ages ago with good intentions to try out and never did.  It looked very appealing, however, so I decided to make it right away.  I ended up changing the recipe almost completely, so it is kind of a combination of several recipes including my binder recipe and this one.  This pie turned out really wonderfully.  The texture is definitely that of ricotta, but the sweetness with the warmth of the cinnamon, the orange, raisins, and chocolate is just really good.  I don't think it is really like any other pie I've had before, and I would definitely make it again.

Ricotta Pie

2 layer 9-inch pie crust (I used this one)
24 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 375F.  Roll out half of the pie dough and fit into a 9 inch pie plate.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese and sugar until combined.  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Add the orange zest, cinnamon, raisins, and mini chocolate chips, and stir until combined.  Pour the ricotta filling into the prepared pie dough.  Set aside.

For the lattice crust, roll out the second half of the pie dough, and cut into 1 inch strips.  Lay half of the strips over the filling, about 1 inch apart.  Fold back every other strip about half way, then lay another strip across the center of the pie perpendicular to the others.  Unfold the strips over the center strip, then fold back the alternate strips and place another strip across the pie.  Repeat until the lattice completely covers the pie.

Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and just set.  Remove pie from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Makes 1 9-inch pie.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Lemon Curd Cheesecake

I've been in a lemon mood lately, and this cheesecake is next up.  I rarely make cheesecake.  I like it, but don't really crave it to the point where I need to have it a lot.  My oldest Hungry Puppy decided that it was definitely time for me to make a cheesecake, and we definitely owe thanks to her for that request!  This cheesecake is delicious.  It has a very subtle lemon flavor on it's own, but with the lemon curd on top it is perfection.  The lemon curd gives it that major wow factor.  This cheesecake is a little time consuming, but all in all pretty simple.  A lot of the time involved is chilling the baked cheesecake and the lemon curd.  Do yourself a springtime favor, make this cheesecake!  Original recipe from Fine Cooking.

Lemon Curd Cheesecake

For the crust:
8 ounces vanilla wafers or golden oreos (with the filling scraped out)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
7 Tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs

Lemon Curd:
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 or 3 lemons)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a food processor, process the vanilla wafers or oreos until they are crumbs.  Add the sugar and pulse until combined.  Pour the cookie crumbs in a medium bowl and add the melted butter.  Stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened.  Pour the moistened crumbs into a 9 inch springform pan, and press evenly over the bottom of the pan and about 1 to 2 inches up the sides of the pan.

Bake the cookie crust in the preheated oven for 9 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove crust from the oven and let cool completely while you make the cheesecake filling.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.

For the filling, beat together the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, flour, and salt until well combined, fluffy and smooth.  Add the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until blended and smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined.  Pour the filling into the prepared and cooled crust, and smooth the top.

Bake the cheesecake for about 55 minutes, or until the edges are slightly puffed and the center looks done, but wobbles when you move it.  Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 8 hours, or overnight.  

While the cheesecake is chilling, make the lemon curd.  In a small saucepan, whisk together the eggs and sugar until combined.  Whisk in the lemon juice.  Over medium-high heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture is steaming and thickened and just barely starts to bubble.  Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and butter.  Transfer the lemon curd to a medium bowl, cover and chill until cold.

When ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the springform pan, then unclasp the edge of the pan and remove the sides.  Spread the chilled lemon curd evenly over the top of the cheesecake.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Makes about 12 to 16 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Crepe Manicotti

Before making this dish I had only ever had manicotti once, crepes twice. And they were completely separate times. And separate dishes. No connections. So into this dish went a few tablespoons of faith, a teaspoon of prayer, and a dash of luck. The result: perfection. The crepes are light and really allow the flavor of the cheeses and nutmeg to come through. When combined with the fresh salsa, you get chunks of fresh vegetables to contrast the soft cheese and crepes. I suggest preparing the crepes ahead of time because, although they're simple, they take a lot of time to make. The whole recipe is fairly easy, yet so delicious. For me it was love at first bite.
Recipe adapted from here.

Sauce:
1 Jar Fresh Spaghetti Sauce

Crepes:
4 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
2 C Milk
1 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
Dash of Pepper

Filling:
3 C Ricotta Cheese
1 lb Grated Mozzarella
2 T Dried Parsley
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

For Crepes:
In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, salt, milk, and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Add flour and whisk. There will be little clumps of flour so let the batter stand for 10-15 minutes, then mix again.

Heat a 6-inch nonstick pan until hot and spray with cooking spray. Reduce heat to medium and pour about 2 T batter into the pan, tipping it to coat the pan. Cook for 30-40 seconds, until golden, then flip. Cook the other side for 20-30 seconds and remove to a plate.

For Filling:
In a large bowl mix ricotta, 1/2 the mozzarella, parsley and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add a thin layer of sauce over the bottom. Place about 3 T cheese mixture on one edge of a crepe and roll up. Place in pan. Continue filling crepes until all are full. You may have two layers of crepes in your baking dish.

Cover liberally with sauce and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 425 for 25-25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly. Allow to set for 5-10 min before serving.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty