Sweet Baked Ricotta With Glazed Peaches Food

SWEET PEACH CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl until blended. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate large bowl to blend. Stir in the chopped peaches. Gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with no crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter, cream, 2 tablespoons water and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until light and creamy, adding extra water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled loaf. Allow the frosting to set for 25 minutes. Cut the loaf into slices and serve.

WHITE PEACHES, PISTACHIOS, HONEY AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Quarter and pit the peaches, and slice them into thin curls on a mandoline. Toss them with the lemon juice in a bowl.
• Divide the ricotta among 4 dessert bowls, drizzle a tablespoon of honey on each, and toss on a handful of toasted pistachios. Top each with a mound of peach slices and a drizzle of olive oil.

SWEET RICOTTA PASTRIES

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Bring milk and zest to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, then remove from heat. Whisk together yolk, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in milk, then transfer mixture to saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute. Stir in vanilla, then transfer to a clean bowl and chill custard, its surface covered with parchment paper (to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 1 hour. Discard zest.
• Pulse ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Whisk into custard. Stir in orange-flower water and citron. Chill until ready to use.
• Prepare pastry while custard chills:
• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in cleaned food processor until combined. Add butter and zest and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Add yolks and water and pulse until just incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, using a pastry or bench scraper if you have one, and form into a ball.
• Generously butter muffin cups and top of pan. Press 2 tablespoon dough over bottom and up side of each muffin cup in an even layer with well-floured fingers. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 9-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and transfer to a baking sheet, discarding top sheet of paper. Cut 12 (1/2-inch-wide) strips, then cut in half crosswise to make 24 strips total. Chill until ready to use.
• Assemble and Bake pastries:
• Spoon a scant 2 tablespoons filling into each muffin cup and smooth, then crisscross 2 strips on top of filling, trimming to fit. Brush pastry cross with egg wash. Bake until filling is puffed and starting to crack and edges are golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert a rack on top of pan, then flip pan and remove. Turn pastries right side up and cool completely.

SWEET BAKED RICOTTA WITH GLAZED PEACHES

Steps:

• To bake the ricotta:
• Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta and the eggs.
• Split the vanilla bean and scrape in the seeds.
• Sift in the icing sugar and mix thoroughly. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the loaf tin and cover with aluminum foil.
• Place the tin into a slightly larger baking pan and pour in enough water to come about half-way up the side of the loaf tin. Carefully place the baking pan in the oven. Bake the ricotta for 40 minutes, or until firm.
• When the ricotta is ready, remove the loaf tin from the water bath and remove the foil. Let the ricotta cool, then cover it with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate. When it is thoroughly cold you can turn it out of the tin and slice it as required.
• It will have more flavour if you allow it to warm to room temperature before serving it.
• To glaze the peaches:
• Preheat the griller (broiler) to hot.
• Halve the peaches and remove the skins if desired (if using frozen peaches, defrost). Sprinkle with the extra icing sugar and place under the griller (broiler) until the sugar is caramelised, about 2-5 minutes.
• To serve, arrange ricotta slices and two peach halves on each plate.

ROASTED PEACHES WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Arrange peaches, cut side up, in glass baking dish.
• Sprinkle with sugar and dot with butter.
• Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
• With slotted spoon, transfer peaches to individual plates.
• Reserve juices.
• In bowl, mix ricotta and honey.
• Stir in reserved juices.
• Pile ricotta mixture onto peaches and sprinkle with almonds.