JUST DESSERTS

I am not a dessert eater, 

I am a dessert maker, for guests.

Light and fluffy ricotta cheesecake.

Flourless Chocolate cake.

Recently I had a dinner party and was looking for an Italian dessert, but a light one, since it was after Osso Buco and Risotto.  I chose  two, a- because I know that people always like something chocolate, so I decided to make a choclolate cake from Friuli and that being the case, when I found this Corsican Ricotto Cheesecake, I had to make them both. Happily, two very light and airy and fluffy desserts. The lightness for both desserts was attributed to the combining of egg whites into the batter. Neither one had flour as an ingredient.

And so, my post today is only desserts, but I will show my journal pages of the entire dinner. Hope you like.

My Menu

Page from my journal 2012. It lists what serving items I used for hors d'oeuvres.

Table Setting from my journal  pages... above and below.

Recipes:

Corsican Ricotta Cheesecake

Adapted from “Patricia Wells At Home In Provence”

One 9-inch springform pan

Sweet butter and flour for the cake pan

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup sugar

30 ounces whole-milk ricotta

grated zest of 2 lemons

confectioners’ sugar for garnish

This cheesecake is much lighter than a traditional cheesecake.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter and flour the cake-pan. Tap out any extra flour that does not stick to the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk, beat the vanilla extract, the egg yolks, and the sugar at high speed until thick and pale lemon-colored. At low speed, gradually add the ricotta and lemon zest. Beat until smooth and totally incorporated.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff but not dry. Whisk 1/3 of the egg whites into the cheese mixture and combine thoroughly. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, with a rubber spatula. Do this slowly and do not overmix. Make sure that no streaks of white remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cheesecake is golden brown and fairly firm in the center and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until serving time. To serve, release the sides of the springform pan and leave the cheesecake on the pan base. Sprinkle the top generously with confectioners’ sugar.

Flourless Chocolate Cake from Friuli

Adapted from "Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian"

13 tablespoons sweet, unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons flour

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

¾ cup sugar

6 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon brandy

2 pinches salt

confectioners’ sugar

( recipe called for 1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds, which I did not use, but you can if you wish)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using about 1 tablespoon of the butter, butter an 11” springform pan. Line the bottom with buttered parchment paper. Dust the paper and sides of pan with flour.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler set above simmering water over medium heat. Set aside to cool.

Put remaining 12 tablespoons butter into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating for 2-3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the chocolate, beating just enough to blend it in. Stir in the brandy and set aside.( here is where you would stir in the almonds )

Put egg whites and salt into a large, clean bowl and beat with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks appear. Add a third of the whites to the chocolate mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula. Carefully fold in remaining whites in 2 batches, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour into prepared cake pan.

Put pan into oven and bake for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and continue baking until a toothpick stuck into the center of  the cake comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Remove cake from oven and set aside to cool.

Release the sides of the springform pan and peel off the parchment, and place, right side up on a cake plate. Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.


I'll be busy this week getting my presentation ready 
for my appearance on February 29th at the Garden Education Center of Greenwich. If you can, please come and enjoy tastings of my recipes from my journals.


As Always, xxoo Sheila