Ricotta Raisin Cheesecake Food

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter and sugar a 9-inch springform pan (3 inches deep). Whisk together ricotta, egg yolks, flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, the zest, and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk egg whites with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Raise speed to high, and gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold a third of the whites into ricotta mixture using a rubber spatula until just combined. Gently fold in remaining whites until just combined.
• Pour batter into pan, and bake until center is firm and top is deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; release sides to remove from pan, and let cool completely. Serve with citrus-vanilla compote.

HONEY RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
• Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the honey and orange zest. Add the eggs and pulse just until blended.
• Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold).
• Transfer the cake to a rack and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE WITH WARMED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter or oil a 4-cup glass loaf pan. Line the bottom and ends of the pan with a long piece of parchment paper.
• Blend the ricotta, milk, sour cream, eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest in the blender or food processor, until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until just set and barely golden, about 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Cherries: Toss the cherries, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Cook cherry mixture over medium-high heat until they soften and the juice gets syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and lemon juice.
• Lift cheesecake out of the pan by the paper and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into serving pieces and place on a platter. Spoon the warm or room temperature cherries on top. Serve.
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RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray the springform pan with cooking spray. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one of the large bowls and the yolks in the work bowl of a food processor.
• Add the sugar and vanilla to the work bowl of the food processor and process until thick and light yellow, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta and zest and process until smooth, another 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into the other large bowl.
• Beat the whites on high speed with the mixer until they hold stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the ricotta mixture and scrape into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
• Bake until the cake is deep golden brown and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Transfer to the rack to let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day. To serve, release the sides of the springform pan, dust with confectioners' sugar using the strainer, and cut into wedges.

RICOTTA FILO CAKE

Steps:

• Set the oven at 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Melt the butter in a small pan. Place a baking sheet in the oven. Line the tart tin with a double sheet of filo, letting it fall over the edges. Brush with some of the butter, then continue with all the sheets of filo, letting the pastry overhang the tin where necessary and generously brushing them with butter as you go.
• Put the ricotta, eggs, egg yolks, honey, cinnamon and granulated sugar into the bowl of a food mixer and combine to a smooth cream. Fold in the candied peel, raisins, finely grated citrus zest, flour, a capful of vanilla extract and, lastly, the ground almonds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the lined tin, smooth flat, then gently fold the overhanging pastry sheets to the middle, curling them over as you go to make loose rosettes of pastry. Bake for forty to fifty minutes, until the pastry is crisp and the filling lightly firm to the touch.
• To finish:
• Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Melt the honey in a small saucepan, stir in the candied peel, then spoon over the pastry. Dust with icing sugar and leave to cool before slicing.

AMARETTO RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Line a strainer or colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth or 1 coffee filter; place over a bowl. Place ricotta in prepared strainer; cover ricotta with sides of cheesecloth. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove ricotta from cheesecloth; discard liquid in bowl., Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and amaretto. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and drained ricotta until smooth. Beat in amaretto mixture. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended., Pour into a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until center is almost set, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Let stand 5 minutes on a wire rack., In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients; spread over top of cheesecake. Bake 5 minutes longer., Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan., For garnish, place corn syrup in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, until warm, about 10 seconds. Add cranberries; toss to coat. Place sugar in a small bowl; add cranberries and toss to coat. Place on waxed paper and let stand until set, about 1 hour., Top cheesecake with almonds and sugared cranberries.

ITALIAN (RICOTTA) CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Butter bottom and sides of a 12-inch springform pan.
• Sprinkle bottom and sides of well buttered pan with Graham cracker crumbs.
• In a large bowl, beat drained ricotta until very smooth.
• Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and egg yolks, beating after each addition.
• Beat in flour, lemon rind, and vanilla.
• In a small bowl, beat cream until cream holds its shape, but is not too stiff.
• In a smaller bowl, beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff; combine with whipped cream and fold into ricotta mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake 1 hour.
• Turn off heat and allow cake to cool in oven with door closed (about 3-4 hours).
• Remove cooled cake from oven, carefully remove sides of pan, store cake (well wrapped) in refrigerator.
• Before serving, lightly sprinkle top of cake with Confectioner's (powdered, 10X) sugar.
• Cake may be served chilled or at room temperature.
• Note: Center of cheese cake will be lower than the sides when it is cooled.
• This is not a defect!
• It is supposed to be this way (makes it easier to hold the topping if you choose to use one).
• VARIATIONS: Add raisins, chopped citron or chopped maraschino cherries to the batter.
• Top cheese cake with crushed sugared strawberries or cherries before serving.
• Cover bottom of crumbed pan with drained, sweetened crushed pineapple, applesauce or sliced apples before adding batter to pan.
• Pie crust pastry may be used instead of Graham crumbs to line pan.

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, blend the ricotta until smooth. Then whisk in the sugar and flour. Next, whisk in the eggs one at a time. Then finish with the orange zest, liqueur, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Once mixed, pour the batter into a sugared springform pan bake until set and golden brown, 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating. Portion into 9 to 16 slices.

SICILIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch springform pan, and tap out excess flour.
• Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl, and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly into the ricotta. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in the vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools. Cover, and chill till serving time.

RICOTTA-RAISIN COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15x9-in. rectangle. In a small bowl, combine cheese, honey, cardamom and almond extract. Spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Sprinkle with raisins. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Pinch ends together to form a ring., Place seam side down in a parchment-lined 9-in. round baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. With a sharp knife, make 12 shallow slashes in top of coffee cake. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake.