Torta di Ricotta e Ciliegie e Caldarroste: Ricotta Tart with Bing Cherries and Roasted Chestnuts

My mom and her friends have these cooking parties. They're really cute, actually. They take a cookbook (typically one from the "Savoring" Williams-Sonoma series) that centers on a particular region and each volunteer to make 2-3 recipes each. And basically then they all get together and make them at the same time, while getting drunk on the corresponding recommended pairing liquors. It's a great time.

Despite the progressiveness of these empowered cooking women, they are pretty staunch conservatives when it comes to following the recipes. Which isn't really my style, ja feel? Sorry not sorry for that reference. Anyway, the original ricotta tart calls for raisins, but I definitely wanted to top it with roasted chestnuts, and dried cherries complement that much nicer. I think this tart would have been extra special if I had whipped up a simple syrup with grappa and coated the chestnuts in it for a nice, boozy glaze and if I had soaked the cherries in red wine instead of water. However, my friend can't consume anything with alcohol for religious reasons, and since this is a mostly college-based baking blog, I'd assume most don't have grappa. And grain alcohol just wouldn't be classy, now would it?

Some notes about this lovely tart: be sure not to over bake, or else the ricotta will be drier. Take heed of how sticky the pastry dough gets because of the sugar--do not skip the refrigeration step, and be sure to roll out the dough between plastic wrap or else it will seriously stick to the countertop.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma's Savoring Tuscany "Torta di Ricotta":

PASTRY:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/8 tsp. salt

1 whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk

FILLING:

1/3 cup dried bing cherries

1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. cake flour

1 tsp. grated lemon zest.

1 tsp. vanilla extract

(optional) red wine

GARNISH:

1 cup roasted chestnuts (chopped or whole, depending on preference)

Sifted cocoa powder

To make the pastry, in a large bowl, mound the flour and make a well in the center. Add the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt to the well. In a small bowl using a fork, beat the whole egg and egg yolk, and then pour into the well. Lightly beat the mixture in the well with the fork, then slowly incorporate the flour in a circular motion until well mixed and a rough dough has formed. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough briefly in the bowl until it forms a large ball.

Flatten the ball into a thick disk, place in a heavy-duty lock-top plastic bag (I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap), and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat an oven to 375 F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Begin to make the filling by placing the dried cherries in a small bowl with warm water (or red wine) to cover. Let soak for 20 minutes-1 hour, then drain.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the ricotta, eggs, and sugar until the mixture is evenly blended.

Sift the flour into the bowl. Add the drained cherries, lemon zest, and vanilla to the bowl. Stir to mix well. Set the filling aside.

Place the refrigerated dough between two sheets of plastic wrap, and roll out the dough into an 11-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Peel off one of the top sheet of plastic wrap, and carry the rolled out dough to the prepared pan, flipping it over so the uncovered side is down. Pressing it into the bottom and sides, peel off the second (now top) layer of plastic wrap.

Pour the ricotta mixture into the lined pan. Trim the edges of the dough, then crimp lightly to form an attractive rim around the filling.

Bake until the top of the cake is a soft yellow and not quite set in the center, 30-45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

Release the sides of the pan and use a long metal spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate. Garnish with chestnuts and sift cocoa powder on top. Serve at room temperature with grappa.

BOOZY VARIATION: Coat the roasted chestnuts in a grappa syrup and soak the cherries in red wine.

Healthy Subs and Adds

In my experience, using healthy ingredients in lieu of their caloric cousins is always appreciated . . . unless you can really taste it. "This tastes healthy" never seems to be a compliment.

As someone who is both well known for being a bougie connoisseur of quality ingredients/taste and relatively health-conscious, I am here to give a list of the things that make my double life easier. You'll never even know. Or, you'll know and others won't know. If you didn't' realize that cooking/baking is the same as being in a spy thriller, it is.

1. Fat Substitutions
Oil and butter are great. Especially butter. Basically, anything you put 2 sticks of butter in is guaranteed to be awesome, but also guaranteed cardiac arrest, and this is actually a huge dilemma in my life I've contemplated for a long time. My priorities are clear (*cough* butter) but I figure there's a way to be a lithe Parisian MPDG baker vs. Paula Deen and this is how it's done.
-Avocado
-Banana
-Greek yogurt
I am certain there are more, but I haven't tested them out yet.
**Some notes about these: avocado is dense and fatty and wonderful, but has a distinctive taste that needs to be masked. It's best used in chocolate cake or the like, because the deep chocolate flavor balances it out. Greek yogurt is absolutely wonderful and less finicky. Keep in mind you can use the different flavors available to complement the flavor of whatever you're baking (Lemon flavored Chobani for lemon muffins, etc.)

2. Moistness
I know, I said it. I know, it's a gross word. Just deal for a second.
Nobody wants dry and crumbly things. While fat substitutions will nip this in the bud usually, these additives won't compensate for oil and butter but when added (even to traditional butter and eggs recipes) will really make it dense and  . . .moist.
-Beets
-Shredded zucchini
-Black beans
-Applesauce (and flavored applesauce!)
 Beets add a wonderful richness to chocolate cake, shredded zucchini will completely shrivel up in baking and just lend moisture to any flavor cake (no taste detectable, ever), and black beans make brownies incredibly fudgy.

3. Creaminess
-Egg whites
-Cauliflower*
-Butternut squash*
-Pumpkin*
-Nutritional yeast*
-Silken tofu
Whip egg whites into oatmeal to make it super creamy, and pureeing silken tofu with melted dark chocolate is protein-packed low-calorie chocolate mousse. Awesome? Awesome.
*For savory dishes (especially pasta! see: Healthy Fettucine Alfredo, Ricotta Gnocchi with Pumpkin Velvet Sauce, and Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.)

4. Sweetness
-Stevia
-Agave nectar
-Honey
-Medjool dates
-Bananas
Artificial sweeteners are really shit for you, but stevia and agave are all natural and don't taste like sugar-coated plastic. Honey has tons of health benefits and is less calories than sugar. Medjool dates are seriously the best--pulsed in the food processor and then added to anything as a binder and sweetener (especially great for raw crusts).

5. Starches
-Spaghetti squash*
-Nuts
-Kale*
-Chickpeas(*)
Pulse nuts and Medjool dates in the food processor (instead of graham crackers or Oreos) and press into a baking dish and it's a nutty, sweet crust to any filling. Pureed chickpeas are great in cookies or dips--the flavor becomes a completely blank canvas to whatever you want to impose on it.
*For savory dishes (Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce, Kale Chips, Roasted Chickpeas.)

And there you go. The newest Bond film: This Tastes Good, What's In It?

Daniel Craig is invited to my kitchen.