Ricotta w/ Vanilla Sugar Croutons and Berries

Who here loves cheesecake?!  ME ME ME!  I adore cheesecake...something about the creaminess and the savory-ness of the cream cheese that really gets me interested.  Top that slice off with some fruit and I’m yours forever {hear that, Steve?}.  What I don’t like about cheesecake is this:  it’s a huge calorie bomb.  Have you seen the recipes out there for low-fat cheesecake?  Just....don’t.  Most of them are just bad...dry...ugh.  Cheesecake is one of those things that you just can’t make low-fat/low-calorie...for one, it’s not like a huge slice of low-fat cheesecake is going to be 100 calories.  Oh no....that low fat stick of cream cheese and sugar substitute is not going to save you many cals.  And when you take that first bite of a mediocre cheesecake, it’s not nearly as satisfying as the full flavor type.  Just trust me...full fat cheesecake or no cheesecake...plain and simple.  Which leads me into today’s dessert and the things I love about it -- ta da!  Savory ricotta cheese gets a dessert makeover!  Wham!  When I took a spoonful of this to my lips I had a cheesecake moment--the cheese, the vanilla, the fruit.  YUM.  It’s a great substitute for that devilish dessert.  Oh and did I mention how crazy easy it was?  I made this recipe for a dinner party and literally had each part made hours ahead of time.  All I had to do was assemble and pass out the deliciousness.  Easy as..pie. {I hate that expression -- I don’t think there’s anything about pie that is easy...unless you have a store bought graham cracker crust and a can of cherry pie filling....}

Ricotta with Vanilla-Sugar Croutons and Berries (4 servings)

Giada de Laurentiis

Croutons:

1/4 (4 ounces) ciabatta loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, recipe follows

Syrup:

1/2 cup orange juice (from 1 medium orange)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup blueberries

8 strawberries, hulled and quartered

Ricotta:

1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

3 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 medium orange)

1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar, recipe follows

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

For the Croutons:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss together the bread cubes and melted butter. Add the vanilla sugar and toss until the bread cubes are coated in sugar. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.

For the Syrup:

In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar to a simmer, over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the blueberries and strawberries and simmer until the fruit softens, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool the syrup to room temperature.

For the Ricotta:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.

To serve: Divide the ricotta mixture between 4 decorative dessert bowls. Spoon the fruit syrup over the ricotta and top with the croutons. Garnish with the sliced mint.

Vanilla Sugar:

2 cups sugar

1 vanilla bean

Place the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthways, and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar. Pulse 10 to 15 times until the vanilla and sugar are combined. Cut the empty vanilla pod into 1-inch pieces and place in a glass mason jar. Add the vanilla sugar to the jar and seal. Shake the jar before using.

Yield: 2 cups

Sugar Cookie Bars

To me, Valentines’ Day is a great excuse to go out for a one-on-one date with your man for a fabulous meal.  I try not to put the pressure on for a gift -- but I do put the pressure on for a good reservation ;-)  

So we all know how great those frosted, sprinkled, sugar cookies that you can buy in grocery stores are....they are kind of like cocaine.  These are worse.  They are gooey and soft and the buttercream frosting is amazing.  What I love about them is that the frosting can be dyed any color and decorated to represent any holiday or party theme.  Keep ‘em coming!!!

Sugar Cookie Bars (makes 18 bars)

The Curvy Carrot

For the cookie bars:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch sea salt

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

5 tablespoons milk

Food coloring, as desired

Sprinkles, for garnish, optional

1. For the cookie bars: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed 10 x 15-inch (or 9×9-inch brownie pan) with parchment paper; set aside.

3. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5. Add the vanilla.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda, mixing well.

7. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

8. Using a rubber spatula, evenly spread the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet (or brownie pan).

9. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  (They should be light golden brown).

10.  Let cool completely.

11. For the frosting:  In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

12. Add the vanilla and salt, mixing well.

13. Reduce the mixer speed to low and carefully add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time.

14. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

15. Add your desired amount of food color (if using) and mix until incorporated.

16. Frost and decorate as desired onto the cookie bars.

Frosted Vanilla Almonds

Happy Giveaway Day!  Today I’m reviewing a fantastic cookbook called Pure Vanilla: Irresistible Recipes and Essential Techniques, written by Shauna Sever and published by Quirk Books.  As soon as I cracked open this book I fell in love -- I love when cookbooks pick a specific topic and really drive it home with tips, tricks, history and pretty much all the into you could ever need on that particular subject.  That’s what Shauna does in this book -- she takes a basic ingredient {vanilla} and shows us how truly spectacular it really is!  She starts out  by giving a history of vanilla, explaining where and how it was first grown and harvested and how it ended up being the worlds most favorite flavor.  Shauna then dives into the recipes broken down into Breakfasts, Cakes and Pies, Cookies and Bars, Candies and Confections, Custards and Creams and Drinks.  Some of my favorite recipes are the Vanilla Bean Dutch Baby, the Cherry Vanilla Shortbread Cake Squares and the recipe I’ve made for you for today: Frosted Vanilla Almonds.

I whipped these babies up to crunch on before Thanksgiving dinner and they were a huge hit!  I loved packing them into mason jars and spreading them around the room for people to snack on.  They are perfectly sweet and they make your house smell amazing -- like a NYC peanut cart.  Mmmmm!  Plus they are easy and oh-so quick to make!  Stress-free and impressive to boot!  

So for todays’ giveaway -- all you have to do is comment on this post before Sunday, December 9th at 11:59pm Eastern Time and you will be entered to win the Pure Vanilla Cookbook along with a bottle each of Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract and Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste.  A winner will be chosen at random and announced on the blog on Monday, December 10th!

Frosted Vanilla Almonds (makes 3 1/2 cups)

Pure Vanilla - Shauna Sever

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

2/3 c. granulated sugar

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

3 c. raw almonds

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until well blended and foamy.  Fold in almonds until coated.  Pour onto prepared baking sheet and smooth into an even layer.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir well (being sure to pat the almonds into an even layer), rotate baking sheet 180 degrees, and bake until crisp and just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes more.  
4. Transfer the almonds with the parchment or silicone mat to a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or let cool completely and store in an airtight container.