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.

Chocolate Cake with Maple Salted Caramel Filling and Cinnamon Honey Buttercream

It was my suitemate Mac's birthday the other day.

My other suitemate Nicole was insistent upon "Bitches Love Cake" being written on it, and we have my remarkably even gel icing font to thank for its actualization. Mac, you're welcome. Mac has an obsession with all things cinnamon (and all the related tastes--honey, caramel, ginger, chai, etc.) but like any girl, what's a birthday cake without a hint of chocolate? So I decided to make a chocolate cake. I used strong coffee instead of the standard boiling water for more depth in flavor. I then decided to fill the layers with salted caramel, and got the brilliant idea to use maple granulated sugar instead of the standard brown sugar. One thing led to another and raw honey and cinnamon were being swirled into buttercream, and a masterpiece was born.

This is pretty much the most caloric thing I've ever baked, and it tastes almost identical to Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns (plus chocolate). It's really good.

I really enjoy taking the flavors that are special to the people I'm baking for and making something creative out of it. Satisfying, you know?

Chocolate Cake:

Butter for greasing pans

All-purpose flour: 1 3/4 cups + dusting

Sugar: 2 cups

Cocoa powder: 3/4 cups

Baking soda: 2 tsp

Baking powder: 1 tsp

Salt: 1 tsp

Buttermilk: 1 cup shaken (I used a 3/4 greek yogurt to 1/4 milk substitute)

Vegetable oil: 1/2 cup

Eggs: 2

Pure vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Freshly brewed hot coffee: 1 cup

Method: Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 2 round cake pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Slowly add wet ingredients to dry, and incorporate until no dry flour is showing--then add hot coffee and mix evenly. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out cleanly.

Maple Salted Caramel Sauce (adapted):

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup maple granulated sugar, packed (I used Trader Joe's brand)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Himalayan pink sea salt (or just sea salt)

Method: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together butter, sugar, cream, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 6 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in vanilla (be careful, it might bubble up) and cook one more minute (don't skip this, or else the alcohol in the vanilla will be very strong). Pour caramel into jar and refrigerate until ready to use--when spreading the caramel between the cake layers, sprinkle on some sea salt before setting the layers.

Honey Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting (adapted):

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2-1 tsp cinnamon (depending on your preference)

2 tbsp raw honey (makes for a creamier consistency--standard honey can be substituted)

2 sticks butter, room temperature (1 cup)

Method: Whip it all together until light and fluffy!

Dark Chocolate Chip Maple Pecan Pie

Happy Thanksgiving! Perhaps you (should you exist) thought you had wrangled yourself out of the obligatory Thanksgiving post since I already posted a pumpkin pie recipe, but you would be wrong. Thanksgiving is about MULTIPLE pies. And multiple friends.
This Thanksgiving, I brought home two friends from college---one of whom (An) has been responsible for all of the photos on this lovely blog. They had never had a classic American Thanksgiving, and since they both live far away, I took the opportunity to appease my mother’s overactive maternal instinct and give them the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving experience by bringing them home for break. We had an amazing time. Seriously. Of course I was always grateful for what I had, but it really brings about a new sense of appreciation to see so many aspects of your home that have become trivialized to you through the bright eyes of an enthusiastic guest. The comforts of a charming old home, the warmth of a small town, and the affection of a mother all become magnified under the lens of presentation. It emphasized what Thanksgiving really is all about.

And, of course, I baked. That’s how I show my gratitude for all that I have---brown sugar gel with toasted nuts in a pie crust. Next to my grandmother’s legendary apple pie and my perfect gingersnap pumpkin pie rested this new staple---Dark Chocolate Chip Maple Pecan Pie. I was planning on adding “bourbon” to the name, but Asmahan is Muslim and can’t consume anything with alcohol in it. It was delicious on its own. I noticed most recipes were EITHER maple or chocolate pecan, but that seemed pretty dumb to me---why not both? And this pie was AMAZING. So good; my grandmother asked me for the recipe. That NEVER happens.

Pie Crust: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1/2 cup shortening

 1/4 cup water

Method: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. 

Dark Chocolate Chip Maple Pecan Pie Filling:

1 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup light brown sugar 

3 eggs 

3 tbsp. butter, melted

 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

 1 tsp. salt 

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 

Method: Preheat oven to 425 F. Whisk eggs, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, melted butter, and salt together in a bowl. Combine pecans and bittersweet chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 F for ~30 minutes, until set.

Perfect Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

I’m in this play right now. 4-hour rehearsals on top of hours of homework on top of independent character work has its downside, sure, but in a super cliché sense the creative satisfaction makes it all worthwhile. But one of the things that really make rehearsals awesome are the cookies our assistant director Abby makes. Just so you can have a tiny sense of how good these cookies are: she uses special-ordered feves (none of that semisweet Nestle chips shit), sprinkles large flaked sea salt on top, and the edges are crisp and the centers buttery and gooey. It’s basically a party/orgy in my mouth. Sorry for that image.

Now, I know I’m a decent baker. But I don’t special order feves, and hey, sometimes I use all white sugar because I’m out of brown sugar. And that’s okay (say it with me). Actually, the only reason that’s okay is because the people who eat my baking (read: indiscriminate, starving college freshmen) are 110% appreciative and loving, even if I’m kind of out of eggs and use an on-the-go pack of applesauce instead. They love me/my cookies anyway, even when they’re objectively not the world’s most perfect (like Abby’s are). So on this turkey week, I am giving thanks to them (my suitemates) by sending them each home with a pumpkin pie. This is coincidentally the same pie my roommate took a bite of and her eyes rolled back into her head, because it was “so goddamn good”. The gingersnap crust adds the perfect bit of spiced crunch to the creamy filling. Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Gingersnap Crust:

 1 cup crushed gingersnaps

 4 tbsp. melted butter 

Method: Stir together and press into the pie dish. 

Pumpkin Pie Filling: (EAGLE BRAND® recipe)

 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

 2 large eggs

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cup Banana Cake

I’ve had a rough week. It’s been a week of emotional curveballs, theatre surprises, family drama, Hurricane Sandy aftermath, an article I handed in late, and lots. And lots. Of essays.

Not to dump all of my shit on you or anything (like I did to my suitemates two hours ago), or else I’d have to make it up to you with a gooey peanut butter cup banana cake (like I did for my suitemates twenty minutes ago). Sometimes you make decisions you don’t really know will lead to the result they end up leading to, and for that you have to just have a little angry freshman-year-music session, forgive yourself, and make something with a definitively certain result. There’s such great security in baking. Unless you’re like me and measure things half-assed and make substitutions that really aren’t okay---except don’t substitute anything in this banana cake, because it’s sort of perfect the way it is.

As a self-defined stress baker, I have learned that using very ripe bananas is a wonderful culinary decision, and not such a great emotional one. It’s way too easy to mash. No pent-up frustration induced force necessary.

Enjoy! (Photography credits to An Uong.)

  Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread by Ambitious Kitchen:

(adaptations include Angsty Freshman Year Music and a dash of morose)

 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

 ½ tsp baking soda

 1 tsp baking powder

 ½ tsp salt

 ¼ cup of softened butter

 ¾ cup of sugar

 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla

 1/2 cup of milk

 ¼ cup of fat free vanilla yogurt

 1 ¼ cup chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

 1/3 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups for topping

 Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and mashed banana together until very creamy about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until well combined. Add flour, yogurt and milk alternatively until well combined. Gently fold in 1 ¼ cup of chopped peanut butter cups. Pour batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of chopped peanut butter cups over the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick comes out almost clean in center. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then remove from pan gently and transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

Grapefruit Olive Oil Cakes

As a college dorm baker, I’ve learned that each ingredient in everything I bake has some kind of back-story. Since I am in fact in a dorm kitchen, it’s not exactly the most well-stocked and high-tech of places. I buy a big bag of flour and sugar and 4 sticks of butter when I make the trek to Stop & Shop, but other than that, every other ingredient that’s in my recipes is something someone’s mom randomly dropped off or something bought blindly with excess meal money from the downstairs food place.

One of my roommates is Greek, and brought back the most incredible olive oil from Greece. Another one of my suitemates loves grapefruit, so we had these gorgeous Pomelos sitting on top of the fridge and staring at me. (Kudos to both for lending these/everything to me.) Additionally, every recipe is an adventure of convenience. For example: this very recipe began as a desire to meticulously follow a recipe for an orange olive oil cake. Maybe I’d incorporate some dried cranberries? Soon, disaster struck---the two oranges we had were completely dehydrated. And then, a revelation! Of grapefruit and the pistachios I’ve been hoarding, which I painstakingly shelled and smashed with a ladle for your benefit, Internet. You’re welcome.

And then, deliciousness ensued. These grapefruit olive oil cakes were moist, but not too dense---bright and citrusy, but brought down to Earth with rich olive oil and salty pistachios. Don’t worry about only having roasted & salted pistachios on hand. Any will work, but these added real depth when combined with the brown sugar. Happy adventure baking! (Credits to my suitemate An Uong for her incredible photography. Amen.)

Credits to my suitemate (as always) An Uong for her incredible photography. Amen.

  Adapted from Melissa D’Arabian’s Orange Olive Oil Cake--makes roughly a dozen standard muffins)

Cooking spray

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs 

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Juice, zest, and pulp of ½ a grapefruit (double for a more grapefruit-y taste---simply add more flour)

 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Brown sugar and pistachios for topping 

 Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a muffin pan. Mix together the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl until blended and light. Drizzle in the olive oil and vanilla and mix until light and smooth. Add the grapefruit juice, pulp, and zest and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt in another medium bowl. Add the flour mixture half at a time to the wet ingredients and mix on low just to incorporate. Pour into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with chopped pistachios and brown sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool and serve.