Ricotta Pie is a traditional Easter dessert in many Italian households. That is when it was introduced to me.
This is my take on the classic ricotta pie. With a swirl of cinnamon and mini chocolate chips, it tastes like a cannoli. Yummers!
Cannoli (Ricotta) Pie
1 Prepared Pie Crust, Raw
1 1/2 Lbs Of Ricotta (I use low fat)
3/4 Cup Sugar
5 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
1 Cup Semi Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
It is important that the ricotta cheese is drained well so that you get a nice firm filling. Drain it overnight in the fridge or a couple of hours before you put it together.
Press crust into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edge, prick the bottom, and chill while making the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl beat the ricotta with the sugar until very smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour the filling into the pie shell.
Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and swirl it with the tip of a knife.
Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until ricotta is set and toothpick comes out clean.
Turn off the oven and leave the door open. Allow pie to slowly cool in the oven for about an hour. Then chill completely in the refrigerator before you serve it.
Delish!!
Patron XO Cafe is a blend of tequila and coffee. This rich coffee liqueur is wonderful all on its own but in a cup of coffee? Aye Carumba!!!
Mmm, sounds like a little piece of caffeinated heaven to me!
Aye Carumba Cafe
1 1/2 oz Patron XO Cafe
Brewed Coffee
Half-and-Half
Sugar (if desired)
In a heated coffee mug add Patrón XO Café. Add half-n-half and sugar (if desired). Fill mug with coffee.
There's nothing better than fresh bread.
Sometimes I want to get a jump on things and bake bread in the morning. But who's got time for that? I know I don't want to get up a 0'dark:30 even if it mean hot, fresh bread start the day with.
Did you know that the prefered method for making bread is a slow, cold rise? The bread is better textured and has much more flavor.
Make the dough as normal and take it out in the morning to rise. Bake it and you have lovely loaves of bread and you'll be a hero to your family!
Soft White Bread (makes 2 loaves)
1 Cup Hot Water
½ Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Dry Yeast
2 Teaspoons Salt
Approximately 6 Cups All-Purpose Or Bread Flour
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
2 Eggs
Combine hot water and cool milk. Mixture should be just warm to the touch. Add sugar and yeast and allow yeast to proof - about 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together the salt and 3 cups of the flour.
Add eggs and butter to yeast and mix well. Add two cups of the flour/salt blend and mix well.
Add the rest of the flour/salt mixture (and then switch to the dough hook attachment if using the stand mixer), and then keep adding the remaining 3 cups of flour, about half a cup at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow the dough to rise about 30 minutes.
Then put plastic wrap over the bowl and put the bowl in the refrigerator.
Whenever you're ready to bake the bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Press out any large air pockets.
Shape into balls, place in a warm (air-temperature) bowl and allow the dough to come to room temperature.
Lightly grease your two loaf pans.
Press each ball down into an oblong shape about the length of your baking pan, then roll tightly into a log and pinch the edges together tightly to seal. Fold the ends under and place the dough in a loaf pan, seam side down.
Cover the pans with a lightly oiled piece of foil or plastic wrap and allow to rise again. When the dough is about level with the edge of the pan, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
When the dough has risen about an inch above the pan, it’s ready. Remove the foil/plastic wrap and place on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
To check, turn out one of the loaves and tap the bottom - if it sounds hollow, it’s done. If it’s not done, bake another ten minutes or so and tap again.
When the bread comes out, remove from the pans and allow to cool before slicing.
Yum!
My great-grandparents immigrated to America to escape the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. They didn't have a lot when they arrived in the New World. But they brought with them their culture and traditions.
On such tradition was Slovak Easter Breakfast. This breakfast includes fresh baked bread, Easter cheese, baked ham, kielbasi, hard boiled eggs and beet horseradish.
This is a custom that I enjoy and maintain. It's something I look forward to every year.
A primary component of Slovak Easter breakfast is Easter cheese (cirak). The Easter cheese isn't really a cheese at all. It's more like a firm egg custard. It can make a lovely accompaniment to any Easter dish.
I love it and I think you will too!
Slovak Easter Cheese (Cirak)
12 Eggs
1 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Dash Ground Nutmeg
6 Cups Milk
Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat slightly. Stir in sugar, salt, vanilla and nutmeg. Set aside.
Heat milk in large saucepan over low heat until almost boiling, do not scorch. Slowly stir in egg mixture, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the mixture takes on the texture of scrambled eggs. The whey will separate so there will be a bit of liquid.
Pour the hot mixture into a cheesecloth lined colander. OR, what I do is stretch a clean nylon stocking (a knee high or ankle high) over a wide mouth jar or a bowl.
Lift the cheesecloth (or stocking) out of bowl, squeezing to remove as much liquid as you can. You can make one large ball, but I usually make two smaller ones.
Be careful, it will be VERY hot. I always end up burning myself, so fair warning.
Tie cloth up tightly. Let it hang over sink or bowl for up to 3 hours. I make a loop at the end of the stocking and hang it over the sink from a cabinet knob.
Cover with a damp linen and place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
Remove cheesecloth (or stocking) and slice to serve.
Note: you can save the liquid that drains off. You can use it as a milk/water replacement for baking. It's is sweet and goes great in oatmeal and creates a silky textured bread.
Red flannel is a New England tradition. Nor' Easterners are frugal folk and this dish is made up of mostly leftovers. Red flannel is made with cooked potatoes, beets, and corned beef. Red-flannel hash takes its name from the chopped beets that give it that deep red color.
Red Flannel Hash
6 Ounces Leftover Corned or Roast Beef
3/4 Cup Leftover Cooked Potatoes, Diced
1/2 Small Onion, Finely Diced
1/2 Cup Diced Pickled Beets
1 Tablespoons Rendered Bacon Fat
4 Large Eggs
Salt & Pepper or Seasoned Salt
In a bowl combine beef, potatoes, onions and beets. Season to taste. Toss to combine.
Melt the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the beef mixture, press down on the mixture with a spatula, forming a large pancake, and cook until well-browned on the bottom. Flip and cook for a minute or two more, again pressing down with the spatula. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Cook eggs, as desired. I like mine poached 3 minutes so that the whites are set and yolk is still runny.
Divide the hash between two dishes and top each with two eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
This is a simple to make meal that explodes with flavor. And it's healthy, too, if you can imagine that! So, it's a win/win all around.
Spicy Garlic Green Beans with Chicken
1 Pound Green Beans, Trimmed
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Pound Chicken Breast
Coarse Salt and Ground Pepper
2 or 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Teaspoon (or more) Hot Pepper Flakes
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Removed from skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and hot pepper flakes. Cook until garlic softens, don't let it brown. Add the green beans and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Stir and add chicken. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes and serve.
Ricotta Pie is a traditional Easter dessert in many Italian households. That is when it was introduced to me.
It is important that the ricotta cheese is drained well so that you get a nice firm filling. Drain it overnight in the fridge or a couple of hours before you put it together.
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