Italian Ricotta cheesecake

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Torta di Ricotta by Giuilano Hazan

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours

8-10

Ingredients

•  FOR THE PASTRY CRUST
• 2 Cups All purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the crust
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 grated zest of lemon
• pinch salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 on the regular bake setting.
2. Put the 2 cups flour, sugar, butter, egg yolks, lemon zest, and salt in a food processor and run the processor until mixed well together. If the mixture is too dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms a smooth dough when you roll it between your fingers.
3. Transfer the dough to a counter and orm into a smooth ball. Remove the bottom of a 2-inch-deep, 9-inch-diameter tart pan or a 9-inch springform pan and put it in the center of your work counter. Sprinkle a little four on the counter around the edges of the pan bottom and place the dough in the middle of the pan bottom. Flatten the dough a bit with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll it out 1/8 inch thick. Loosen the edges that extend past the pan bottom with a pastry scraper, then use the scraper to lift the pan bottom and the dough. Carefully lower into the ring of the tart or springform pan. Patch any tears or holes, making sure the dough comes all the way up the sides. Cut off any excess dough at the top. Lightly press a sheet of sluminum foil over the dough and cover with pie weights or dried beans. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, return the crust to the oven, and bake until very lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Torta di Ricotta By Giuliano Hazan. The pie will keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Ingredients

•  FOR THE FILLING
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespooons 10x confectioner\'s sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups (1 pound) whole-milk ricotta
• 2 tablespoons chopped candied citron (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. While the pie crust is baking, make the ricotta filling. Whip the egg, egg yok, and granulated sugar in an electic mixer on high speed until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow. Add the flour, confectioner\'s sugar, and vanilla and mix until homogeneous. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking on medium-low speed. Add the ricotta and mix throughly. Stir in the candied citron by hand with a rubber spatula.
2. After the crust is done, raise the oven temperature to 375.
3. Pour the ricotta filling into the pie crust and bake until the filling is firm and begins to brown on top, about 11/4 hours. Test by jiggling the pan gently. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Regrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. Serve chlled.

Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark Easy to make and very difficult to stop eating

  Five ingredients that are likely to be in your cupboards already and requiring only about 20 minutes of  semi-attentive time.
Recipe:
Ingredients:

Mini Pretzels – as many as it takes to cover your pan
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 Cup Light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 Cups, (1 12 ounce bag) chocolate chips
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 11 x 17 jellyroll pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside. Cover the pan in a layer of mini pretzels. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine butter and sugar. When the mixture starts to gently simmer and bubble, stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the pretzels. Be careful this is very hot! Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes.
Place the pan on a cooling rack, and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Wait for about 2 minutes, until the chocolate melts. Grab a spatula, and spread the chocolate over the toffee. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Let the toffee cool completely, and break it into pieces. (To speed up the cooling process, you can place the pan of toffee in the refrigerator or freezer.)

Nutella pound cake

 Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake
Ingredients
1.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2.4 large eggs, at room temperature
3.2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4.3/4 teaspoon baking powder
5.1/4 teaspoon salt
6.2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
7.1 1/4 cups sugar
8.One 13-ounce jar Nutella
1.Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.
2.In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.
3.Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.
4.Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Optional Add 1/4 cup of rum. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.
 

Italian Rum Cake

I made this cake and everyone loved it. The recipe is from Mania Bene Pasta:
http://mangiabenepasta.com/italian_rum_cake.html

One of my favorite Italian recipe sites

Mangia bene pasta has to be one of the best websites for authentic Italian food recipes. The ones I've tried have been excellent so I recommend this as a resource if you're looking for traditional and delicious recipes. http://mangiabenepasta.com/    Let me know what you think and if you have a favorite website for traditional Italian recipes.
Ciao

Getting ready for the holidays

I'm going to keep the traditions alive by adding holiday recipies as I attempt to make them this year. So many times I try to recreate a favorite dish and have only my memory of how it should taste to go by. My mother never used a recipe when cooking no matter what she made. I have been successful most of the time but sometimes like making taralli, I just don't even know where to begin. So if you have a recipe for them, please share it with  me.
Thanks!
Ciao!

Let's share our favorite family recipes

I love my Italian heritage and want to share memories and recipes. Please join me!
I'll start with a recipe for vodka sauce. I tried this with lobster ravioli and everyone loved it. The portions for this recipe are approximate so adjust according to your personal taste.
 1 can plum tomatoes in juice
1/4 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup vodka
10 oz heavy cream
2 Tbl EVOO
1/4 C parmigiano reggiano grated
Fresh basil
salt
red pepper flakes
In a large saute pan add oil and onions cook until tender add garlic
Chop tomatoes and remove seeds add and cook for 20 minutes or until juice is reduced by half
add vodka and cook until alcohol evaporates
slowly add cream and stir until heated thru
(Also, if you want, add chopped cooked shrimp or crab meat.)
add basil hot pepper flakes and grated cheese give a quick stir and that's it!
Put the ravioli right in the pan and coat with sauce and serve.
Mangia!