Budino Di Ricotta Cream Cheese Custard Food

BUTTERSCOTCH BUDINO

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, salt, and water in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook until the caramel is very dark, and bubbles appear, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately turn off heat.
• Carefully whisk in 2 tablespoons butter; pour in heavy cream and continue to stir. Be careful, as the mixture may boil up in the pan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Whisk in milk.
• Whisk whole egg, egg yolks, and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch together in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the hot cream mixture to temper the egg mixture. Whisk the egg mixture into the saucepan and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer, and cook, whisking, until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and pour into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove any lumps. Whisk in rum.
• Pour into serving glasses. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, before wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating until thoroughly chilled, 3 to 4 hours.

LEMON RICOTTA POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whip together butter and ricotta cheese. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups. I use an entire 15 oz container.
• Add sugar and blend.
• Beat in one egg at a time until combined.
• Contine adding extract, zest, and juice. You may scale back the amount of zest. I love the flavor punch, so I use the zest of two lemons.
• In a separate bowl whisk together dry ingredients.
• Combine wet with dry turning mixture into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan.
• Bake about 50 minutes. Because of the ricotta cake may have a slight wiggle.
• If you wish, stem and slice strawberries. Add a few tablespoons of sugar and the juice of the remaining lemon. This is a great topping for the cake.

RICOTTA PUDDING (BUDINO DI RICOTTA)

Steps:

• Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth or muslin-line strainer and set it over the sink; let drain overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°; butter a medium-size loaf pan and set aside.
• Prepare a water bath by half filling a rectangular baking tray with water; the loaf pan containing the pudding will be placed in it to bake evenly and gently.
• In a food processor, process the ricotta, egg yolk, sugar, extracts, and cinnamon until very smooth and light.
• Add in the lemon zest; transfer to a big bowl.
• Whip the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until stiff; beat ¼ of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then with a rubber spatula gently fold in the remaining whites.
• Gently pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan; set pan into the water bath.
• Bake the pudding for approximately 35-40 minutes, or when a pick comes out dry; let cool before serving.

CANNOLI SHELLS AND RICOTTA CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Three or more days in advance of making the cannoli shells set the ricotta in a colander inside of a large bowl.
• Scrape the ricotta into the colander and cover with plastic wrap.
• Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for two days, until it is dry.
• To make the dough for cannoli shells: In a small bowl put eggs.
• Beat eggs; add vanilla and ice water to eggs.
• In a large bowl, use your hands to combine the flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon.
• Add the shortening and mix until crumbly.
• Make well in dry mixture and add wet mixture.
• Using your hands mix together, if it is dry, add more ice water.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 3 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a flattened ball.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 to 60 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
• Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine or the dough can be rolled on a board with a rolling pin.
• Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep the pieces from sticking.
• Continue to pass the dough through the machine until you reach the last or second to last setting.
• You might need to run the dough through the pasta machine three times.
• The dough needs to be thin-about the same thickness as construction paper; cut the dough into 4 1/2 inch circles. (Giovanna's cannoli tubes are 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.).
• Continue rolling out the remaining dough.
• If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.
• Put a rack in the bottom of a large heavy kettle that you plan on putting your peanut oil into so that your cannoli shells do not touch the bottom and burn. (Giovanna uses a restaurant kettle that is about 18 inches in diameter.).
• Pour about 2 inches of oil in a smaller kettle. Giovanna used 4 quarts but her kettle is huge!
• Heat oil until a deep frying thermometer shows 375 degrees.
• Oil the cannoli tubes by placing them in the hot oil then draining them in a metal bowl (you need the oil on the tube so that later the cannoli shell will slip off easily).
• Lay the dough circle flat, center the tube on it, bring left edge onto tube, dab it with egg white, bring up right side of dough circle, dab it with egg white, and roll the tube; do not press the dough. You do not want the dough to be too tight on the tube, or you will have difficulty later getting your cannoli off. Be careful not to stretch the dough or pull it tightly. Avoid, as best as possible, getting egg white on the tube, or the cannoli will stick to it.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan.
• Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.
• With tongs, remove the cannoli tubes, holding them straight up so that the oil flows back into the pan.
• Then drain the cannoli still on tube briefly in a metal bowl.
• While the cannoli shells are still hot, carefully slide the shells off the tubes by grasping each tube with a clean towel and gently twisting the cannoli shell off the tube with your other hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. On another work surface area, lay oilcloth or newspaper, topped with a large rack.
• When the cannoli shells are barely warm set them on top of the rack.
• It is important that the shells stay on the racks overnight.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough; set aside.
• The cannoli shells can be made up to 2 months before serving if you drain them properly overnight, and store them in sealed containers in a cool, dry place, but not in a refrigerator.
• To make the ricotta cream, put the thoroughly dry ricotta in a large mixing bowl with a wire whip and blend until creamy.
• Add the confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon oil; blend until smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chocolate pieces. Store the ricotta cream in the refrigerator for 48 hours. After 48 hours, serve and freeze the rest.
• Frozen ricotta cream can be defrosted in the refrigerator later.
• To assemble, use a knife to push the ricotta cream into the cannoli shell.
• Place the cannoli on a serving platter and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
• Use within an hour.

BUDINO DI RICOTTA (CREAM CHEESE CUSTARD)

Steps:

• Cream the ricotta, add the chocolateand nuts and blend thoroughly, add cream as needed for desire consistency. Serve in small glasses.
• Note:.
• I would be tempted to try a darker chocolate and to add a little Amaretto or walnut liquor.