Cannoli are a classic Italian dessert. A basic cannoli is a tube-shaped, deep fried pastry shell that is filled with a sweetened ricotta cheese mixture. They have a great combination of flavors and crisp and creamy textures. They originated in Sicily, but have a huge fan base in Italian communities all over the world. The problem with cannoli is that it can be difficult to ... Read More »
Ricotta cheese is a fresh cheese with creamy, fine textured curds that is very commonly used in many types of recipes, from savory pasta dishes to decadent cheesecakes. The name “ricotta” translates to “recooked.” The cheese gets its name because it is made with the whey leftover from other cheesemaking processes, which is recooked with an acid until the proteins left in the whey come ... Read More »
An icebox cake gets its name from the fact that this is not a cake that is baked, but one that sets up in the refrigerator – a.k.a. the icebox, hence the name. The cakes are usually made with a mousse-like mixture that is stacked with layers of crisp cookies, like chocolate wafer cookies or graham crackers, and left to setup and meld together in ... Read More »
Many cheesecakes, made only with cream cheese, have a dense and creamy texture. This makes the cheesecakes feel indulgent, but you don’t always want a dessert that feels so heavy. One way to lighten up a cheesecake is by adding ricotta cheese. By blending the ricotta with cream cheese, you still get a good cream cheese flavor but with the much lighter texture of the ... Read More »
Tiramisu is traditionally made with ladyfingers dipped in coffee that are layered with a rich mascarpone cream. I like it because I love the coffee element of the dessert, and I also like the fact that it is so easy to put new flavor variations on it that it’s hard to get stuck in a rut with it. Rum and marsala wine often appear in ... Read More »
There are many things that you can do with a basic pancake recipe to make it a little bit more exciting. You can vary the syrup, using everything from maple syrup to agave to a thickened berry sauce. You can add fruit to the batter, or chocolate chips or even bacon. The options are almost endless, and one of my favorite things to add in ... Read More »
There aren’t too many souffles that focus on vanilla as a flavor. Chocolate, double chocolate, citrus and all kinds of other fruits seem to work themselves in easily. I’m not complaining because I really enjoy a good chocolate souffle, but sometimes I just want that vanilla to stand out more. These Ricotta Souffles are a perfect vehicle for vanilla because, like cream cheese in a ... Read More »
Eggnog is one of those foods that really conjures up thoughts of the holidays because it’s only available for a few weeks of the year (although you can make it at home anytime). There are also lots of eggnog-flavored treats out there, like cakes and cookies. Many don’t even use eggnog as an ingredient and just include vanilla and nutmeg in the recipes to capture ... Read More »
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