Chocolate Covered Ricotta Zuccotto

 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and here's your chance to wow any sweetheart with an easy dessert - no baking involved. Just buy a Pandoro - it's like panettone but without the candied fruit -- and is ubiquitous in stores at Christmas time. If you didn't stash an extra one in your pantry during December, or can't find one where you live, you can substitute another type of store-bought cake. Just make sure it has enough density to hold up to the ricotta filling.

I lined a colander with plastic wrap but if you have a round bowl, use that instead. Then slice the pandoro and fit it into the perimeter of the container, squishing in pieces where there may be a gap. I make a simple syrup and add some orange liqueur (optional) then drizzle it all around the cake. Otherwise, I think the cake can be dry. Besides, it adds more flavor.

After you've mixed the ricotta with the chopped chocolate and sugar, spread some of it into the center, over the bottom of the cake (that becomes the top once flipped over). Add another layer of cake and sprinkle with more simple syrup. 

Use the remaining ricotta filling, then finish with another layer of cake, and more simple syrup over it all. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Flip it over the next day, and drizzle the chocolate glaze on top before serving. 

Decorate with orange peel and serve. Happy Valentine's Day

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Chocolate Covered Ricotta Zuccotto

1 pandoro cake

1 lb. ricotta cheese, drained overnight

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar

2/3 cup dark chocolate, cut into bits (or use chocolate chips)

grated zest of one orange

For the Simple Syrup:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons orange liqueur

Bring the water and sugar to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur.

Assembly:

Line a colander or medium-size round bowl with plastic wrap. Cut slices of the pandoro, about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Arrange slices around the perimeter of the bowl. Swipe with some of the simple syrup. Mix the ricotta, sugar, chocolate and orange zest. Place some of the ricotta mixture in the center of the bowl, then add another layer of the pandoro, and swipe with more simple syrup. Add the rest of the ricotta, and finish with another layer of the cake, and more simple syrup over everything. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day before serving, flip the cake over, remove the plastic wrap and spread the chocolate glaze on top (see below recipe), decorating with some orange strips, or candied orange peel. 

For the topping:

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped finely

Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan (except the 2 ounces of chocolate), whisking over medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate until it melts into the sauce. Wait a couple of hours for the sauce to thicken before using on the zuccotto. Put it in the refrigerator or place the pan in a pot of ice  to speed up the process.

Spread topping all over the zuccotto, and decorate with orange peel. 

Chicken with mushrooms and peppers

How about a quick, easy and healthy dish for dinner? It starts with chicken "tenders." I thought I was buying larger pieces of boneless, skinless chicken but when I unwrapped the package, there they were -- "smallish" pieces of chicken. I knew they'd cook quickly, and I'd need to give them a flavor boost to avoid a bland dish. So I rubbed on a little olive oil, seasoned them generously, and gave them a quick saute on high heat.

I removed them from the pan before they were cooked through, then cooked the vegetables and added the chicken back, with some stock and a little cornstarch to thicken.

Sit down to a delicious dinner in a half hour start to finish.

 

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Chicken With Mushrooms And Peppers

1 lb. chicken "tenders"

2 tablespoons olive oil to coat the chicken

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I make my own in the summer with dried homegrown herbs and sea salt)

dash of black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 more tablespoons olive oil to saute the chicken and vegetables

1 red pepper, sliced thinly

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sliced onions

1 large garlic clove

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon cornstarch

parsley, minced (to garnish)

Smear the olive oil over the chicken pieces, then sprinkle with the seasonings. Saute the pieces on high heat in olive oil until lightly browned. Remove chicken pieces and add vegetables and garlic to the pan, cooking on medium heat until softened. Mix the chicken stock with the cornstarch. Add the chicken back to the pan and pour in the chicken stock/cornstarch mixture. If too thick, add a little more stock or water. Mix everything together until coated. Sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve over rice or noodles, if desired.

Earl Grey Tea Shortbread Cookies

On my recent trip to Paris earlier this month, I made a return visit to the Marais neighborhood branch of Le Mariage Frères. To call it a tea shop would be like calling Hermès simply a scarf shop. Yes, they sell tea, and scarves, respectively, but there is so much more to discover, including lunch and desserts, at Le Mariage Frères. I wrote about the store nearly fifteen years ago, and you can find that post here. The tea selection is dizzyingly extensive, and this time I stayed with a familiar name, albeit one with a slight twist. 

If you're a tea drinker, you know about Earl Grey tea, flavored with bergamot, a citrus grown almost exclusively in Calabria, Italy. But Earl Grey French Blue tea adds petals of blue cornflower, adding a colorfully, sweet note. I brought some home with me and set about looking for another way to use the tea leaves, other than just making a cup of tea.

I found the perfect solution in a recipe from the New York Times for Earl Grey shortbread cookies. They were simple to make in the food processor, and so deliciously addictive, I'll have to banish them to the freezer to keep myself from binging on too many (actually, my husband is willing to do his part to reduce the amount of cookies on hand).

Once you've mixed them in the food processor, place the dough on some plastic wrap and squeeze/roll it into a log about 12 inches long. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour, to make it easier to slice.

Slice into discs about 1/3 inch in thickness and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Remove from the oven after about 10-11 minutes and place on a cooling rack.

The edges and bottoms should be slightly tan but not too browned.

They're a delicate but sturdy cookie, making them ideal for gift giving.

That is, if you can keep from eating them all.

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Earl Grey Tea Shortbread Cookies

New York Times recipe (except for my addition of orange zest)

makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature butter

grated rind of one orange 

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, butter and orange zest. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (2 probably needed depending on size of sheets). Bake until the edges are just brown, about 10-11 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.