Sweet Ricotta Baked Apples Food

BAKED APPLES WITH RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Carefully, cut off the top of each apple. With a small knife or a potato peeler, cut out the core scooping out all the seeds. If needed, cut small pieces from the bottom of the apples to level them out. Pierce the apples with a fork in a few places to prevent them from bursting during baking.
• In a mixing bowl, add ¼ cup of honey, lemon juice, and water. Mix to combine.
• Place the apples in a square baking dish. Pour the honey mixture over the apples. Place the apple tops on the apples. Place the anise star, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks on the bottom of the dish.
• Bake the apples until a paring knife easily slips into the centers for about 40 to 45 minutes. Baking time will depend on the apple variety so check the apples every once in a while to make sure they don't over-bake.
• In the meantime, place the ricotta cheese and 1 tablespoon of honey into a small bowl and mix.
• Once the apples are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, transfer the apples onto plates. Open the lids and fill the center of each apple with ricotta cheese, about ¼ cup of ricotta cheese per apple. Sprinkle the apples with allspice and drizzle with pan juices, about 1 tablespoon per apple.
• Place the apple tops back on the apples and serve.

BAKED APPLES WITH SPICED RICOTTA AND MAPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel about 1 inch of skin from tops of apples; cut a sliver off the bottom so apples will stand. Place them in a 9-inch glass pie plate. Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into 4 pieces; fill each apple core with a piece of butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and 1 cinnamon stick. Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons syrup in bottom of pie plate.
• Bake apples, basting several times with pan juices, until they are golden and tender, about 35 minutes (the skin may split). Transfer apples to a serving dish; let baking juices stand to thicken, about 15 minutes.
• Puree ricotta, confectioners' sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger, cinnamon, and cream in a food processor. Serve 2 heaping tablespoons of ricotta cream with each apple, and drizzle with the warm syrup.

STUFFED APPLES BAKED IN BRANDY, TOPPED WITH SWEET RICOTTA CREAM

Steps:

• Ricotta Cream:.
• In a small bowl add the ricotta cheese, cinnamon, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and liqueur; mix well until well blended and smooth. Refrigerate.
• Baked Apples:.
• Place rack in the center position of oven.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash apples well; core. Peel off the skin around the top, leaving two-thirds of the apple unpeeled.
• Hollow out about a 1 1/2-inch wide by 2 1/2-inch deep cavity in the center of each apple (a grapefruit spoon works well for this). Score the apples with the tip of a knife to prevent them from bursting while baking.
• Place the apples in a 9-inch oven-proof glass pie dish.
• Mix together the dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and butter in a small bowl. Blend well.
• Evenly fill the apples with the cranberry/walnut filling.
• Pour the 3/4 cup of apple brandy around the apples. If necessary, add water so that the liquid comes about 1-inch up the sides of the apples.
• Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of apple brandy evenly over the filling in the apples.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are tender.
• Serve warm, topped with a generous dollop of the sweet ricotta cream and a sprinkling of lemon zest.