Spiced Ricotta Hotcakes Recipes

RICOTTA HOTCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add to the ricotta mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
• Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter in two batches using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The batter will be airy and light. Do not overmix.
• Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Coat with butter or a non-stick spray. Drop about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter per hotcake into the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Repeat with the remaining hotcakes. Serve immediately.

SPICED RICOTTA HOTCAKES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch pepper in a large bowl. Thoroughly mix the ricotta, milk, egg yolks (reserve the whites) and vanilla in a second large bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
• Separate the egg whites into a medium bowl; reserve the yolks for another use. Lightly beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment). Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Let the batter rest about 5 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt enough butter to just coat the surface. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle for each hotcake and cook until golden brown and puffed, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Serve hot, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar and drizzled with pomegranate molasses.

CHOCOLATE BRIGADEIROS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, heavy cream, corn syrup and vanilla. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the cocoa powder and chocolate disks. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate melts and the mixture pulls away from the sides and slides around the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture should just lightly bubble around the edges while cooking, so reduce the heat if it's cooking too quickly.)
• Without scraping the bottom of the skillet, transfer the mixture to a medium heatproof bowl. Let cool at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool completely before rolling, 3 to 4 hours.
• Grease a small ice cream scoop with nonstick spray. Scoop out 24 equal mounds of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Alternatively, refrigerate for 2 hours, then scoop the mounds and refrigerate on the baking sheet until firm, about 20 minutes. The increased surface area makes the mixture cool faster.)
• Spray your hands with nonstick spray and evenly roll each mound into a ball. Then, it's up to your imagination how to garnish. You can simply roll them in cocoa powder or sprinkles. I think storing them in little paper baking cups make them look adorable as well. These are best enjoyed at room temperature.

BOBOTIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place bread in a bowl and cover with milk. Let sit until ready to use, turning if necessary to make sure the entire piece of bread is soaked.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and then the onions, chilies, and ginger with a bit of salt to draw out the moisture. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and spices and saute for another 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. (If necessary, add a bit of water to slow the cooking down.)
• Increase the heat to medium-high and push the vegetables aside a bit. Combine the different ground meats if necessary and add the ground meat and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. You can add a drizzle of canola oil if your pan is looking very dry. You want to develop color and deepen the flavor of the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, break up the meat with the onions and spices to mix. Add the preserves, malt vinegar, and tomato and season with salt. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes for all of the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon and let cool briefly. Wring out excess milk from the bread and add to the meat mixture. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the bread, and season if necessary. Fill 4 (10-ounce) ramekins 3/4 full with meat mixture and place ramekins in a roasting pan or baking dish.
• Combine eggs, heavy cream, and pinch of salt and pour to fill ramekins to the top.
• You want to bake these in a water bath, so fill the roasting pan or baking dish with boiling water until it comes at least halfway up the sides of the ramekins (see Cook's Notes).
• Cook at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard is set. You want the custard to be supple, so don't overcook or it turns into an omelet topping. If it jiggles a bit in the center, that's fine. Just let it sit in the water bath once you've taken it out of the oven to firm up a bit.
• Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve in the ramekins topped with chopped chives.

BAKLAVA WITH SPICED NUTS, RICOTTA & CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• First, make the syrup. Tip the sugar into a large saucepan with 650ml water. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 mins, then squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice and simmer for a further 5 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, for assembling the baklava later, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat for 5 mins, skimming and discarding any froth that rises to the surface.
• For the filling, crush all of the nuts in a pestle and mortar, or blitz in a food processor - you want a mixture of finely ground nuts with a few chunky pieces. Tip into a bowl, stir through the spices and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta with the lemon and orange zests and vanilla. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the bottom of a large baking tray (about 35 x 47cm) with some of the melted butter. Working with one sheet of filo at a time (covering the rest with a damp tea towel to prevent it drying out), lay the sheet out on a board so one of the short ends is facing you. Sprinkle 30g of the nut mixture evenly over the whole sheet, then spoon 1 tbsp of the ricotta mixture across the end closest to you. Fold this end over to enclose the filling, then lay a long, thin skewer next to the folded edge and roll the pastry around it to create a long roll. When it's fully rolled up, it should be roughly the thickness of a chipolata sausage. While holding one end of the rolling pin or skewer, gently scrunch the filo roll like an accordion and carefully push it off the skewer and onto the prepared tray. Repeat with the rest of the filo and fillings - you should get about 12 rolls. Cut each roll into four to make 48 large baklava, or eight to make 96 mini.
• Brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 20-25 mins until evenly golden, turning the tray around halfway through. While still hot, immediately pour over 5-6 ladlefuls of the syrup. You should hear the syrup sizzle as it hits the hot baklava. Set aside to cool and absorb.
• Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in the microwave in short bursts. Drizzle this over the cooled baklava and sprinkle with the ground pistachios.

RICOTTA HOTCAKES WITH VANILLA-ROASTED BLOOD ORANGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. First, prepare the oranges. Put the slices in a baking dish with the sugar, vanilla and butter. Roast for 15 mins, then remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2.
• Separate the egg whites and yolks into two bowls. Mix the ricotta and milk into the bowl with the yolks, then stir in the flour and sugar. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until fluffy and aerated, then fold a spoonful into the ricotta and egg yolk mixture until loosened, then fold in the rest, being careful not to knock out the air.
• Heat a little butter in a non-stick pan and add 2 spoonfuls of batter per hotcake. Cook on a medium-low heat for 3-4 mins on each side. Keep the cooked ones warm in the oven while you work with the rest of the batter. Serve the warm hotcakes with the blood oranges, along with their syrup, and some crème fraîche on the side if you like.