No bake Italian Cheese Cake >Ricotta Cream Pie

I first had this in a little Cafe in Taormina Sicily and was lucky enough to come away with a much appreciated recipe. Cheese cakes come sweet and savory, the most popular being the Philly Cheese cake thick, rich, heavy and very good. It also takes hours to prepare. This version uses Ricotta Cheese and is just as rich but not as heavy studded with chocolate bits and nuts it comes together rather quickly and best of all it is a no bake recipe. I modified this from the original recipe only  as I have a slightly difficult time getting some of the ingredients that where in the original where I live ( namely; Hazelnuts and Frangelica). So it is a little Texified but just as delicious. Enjoy!


Prep time: 20 min                   Cooking time: 4 hrs ( refrigerator)          Serves : 8

Tools: 9 " Pyrex pie plate

Ingredients:

Cookie crust

1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs (1 pkg from the box)
2 tbl sugar
1 tbl Cocoa powder
1 stick Unsalted butter 1/2 cup

Filling

1 lb Ricotta Cheese
3/4 cup Powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped Pecans
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
*the original recipe:
sub 1 tbl Frangelica  for the Vanilla and Hazelnuts for the Pecans in the filling
The cookie crust sub crushed Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti  for the Graham Crackers


Directions:
 Place in the refrigerator  a mixing bowl and the beaters of your mixer to chill.

Prepare the cookie crust  by smashing the graham crackers  place them in a  zip bag  and rolling them with a rolling pin ( or use  a food  processor ). Empty the cookie crumbs in to the pie plate add the 2 tbl  sugar and the cocoa powder mix well to thoroughly  combine. In a small bowl melt the butter in the microwave 20 - 45 sec.

 With a fork mix the  melted butter with the cookie crumb mixture. Using the back of a spoon starting in the center working to the outside and up the sides on the pie plate press the crumbs in to the pan forming the crust.
Place in the microwave and cook 2-3 min (bake in conventional oven 9 min at 325 º F ) remove to a cooling rack.

In a large mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese vanilla and powdered sugar mix well, set aside.
Remove the beaters and bowl from the refrigerator pour the cold heavy cream into the cold bowl and whip the cream to stiff peaks.

By hand fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into the ricotta add the nuts and the chocolate chips then fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Spoon the filling into the cooled crust and chill 4 hours prior to serving.

To serve drizzle with chocolate sauce and a few crushed nuts.  

Sausage Fritters

If you where to mention Biscuits and Sausage Gravy most folks I know get a big grin in their face. A warm delicious and filling stick to the ribs sort of meal. Not that it is difficult to prepare but if you need to feed a few folks it can get a little overwhelming, enter the Sausage Fritter. I first encountered these at breakfast while working at a ranch out in Wyoming when I was in my late teens. They are a sausage and biscuit fusion, but mostly they are just plain good.
I brought the recipe home when I returned to Tx. The Cow camp cook would deep fry these in a dutch oven, not that I do not have a love of all things deep fried. I changed up the recipe for two reasons I hate the mess associated with frying in my kitchen and I'm trying to eat a little healthier these days. If you want to deep fry these instead of baking go right ahead. However  you decide to prepare them be warned they are like potato chips; you can't eat just one. Enjoy!


Prep time: 15                         Cook time: 25 min                         yield: 18



Ingredients:

1 lb loose breakfast sausage                           
2 1/3 cups self rising flour (reserve 1/3 cup)
2/3 cup of milk
*optional additions, Cheese,Crispy bacon bits,Green chilies

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 º F and prepare a sheet pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper.

Open the sausage and crumble it into a large bowl (I'm lazy I use my stand mixer) add 2 cups of self rising flour ( add any optional ingredients) and mix to combine when all the flour and sausage have been incorporated add 2/3 cup of milk and mix through. Do not over mix, once it pulls together and gets smooth stop or the fritters will be tough

Once the mixture is smooth and there are no dry spots form into balls about 1 1/4", these are really sticky so a small ice cream scoop and a bowl with a little flower will be your best friend. Scoop up some of the mixture and drop into a small bowl with flour then roll between your palms into a smooth ball, place on the parchment lined sheet pan.



.
Bake on the center rack of your preheated 400 º F oven for 20-25 min until golden brown.

Serve with Cream gravy, eggs or cheese sauce.

Tomato Jam

My first experience with tomato jam I was not exactly sure what to expect, sometimes the name alone will set off these preconceived notions that end up being totally wrong. It looked like tomato ketchup only thicker, like strawberry preserves but it exhibited this wonderful aroma of the warm cookie spices; cinnamon, allspice with a slight hint of clove. The first taste was like nothing ever tasted and was not at all what I was expecting. Sweet,spicy the tomato had magically transformed itself. Then a little surprise, in some back heat that I immediately recognized as chipotle pepper completing the warmth of the other spices. The first thought was "pass the biscuits and look away as this could get ugly!" I was hooked. 

It is at home on a biscuit in the morning or as a dipping sauce for chicken wings or glazing a rack of ribs. It is some really tasty stuff that is so easy to make. Enjoy!

 Prep time: 20 min              cook time: about 1 hour            Yield: 4 1/2 pints

Ingredients:

5 lb tomatoes seeded

*I prefer Roma 

3 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice( bottled)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspiece

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp Chipotle pepper powder

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Tools: heavy bottom 10" deep skiillet (non reactive), water bath caner( or a 2 gal stock pot) 4 1/2 pint mason jars with new lids and rings, potato masher. Recommended; jar tongs, magnetic lid lifter, jar funnel.

Directions:

Inspect the jars for chips and cracks, paying close attention to the sealing area at the top of the rim. Place the jars lids rings in the caner and fill with enough water to cover the top of the jars by 2" and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 min to sterilize.Place a tea spoon in the freezer.

Wash and inspect the tomatoes remove any bad spots and the stem cut into quarters remove the seeds then cut the quarters in 1/2 again and place into the skillet once all of the tomatoes are in the pan add all remaining ingredients cook over med heat.

When the tomatoes have softened crush them with the potato masher and continue to cook to reduce the liquid until it is thick.

To test the jam for proper consistency remove a little from the pot and drop on the frozen tea spoon if it clings to the spoon like jam or preserves turn off the heat.

Using the jar tongs remove a jar place the funnel in the jar and ladle the hot jam into the jars filling them to within 1/4 " of the top. Place a lid on the jar followed by a ring tighten only finger tight. bring the caner to a boil and place the jars on the rack process at a rolling boil 10 min. Remove the jars from the caner and place on clean towels to cool.

Test the seal on all jars by pushing in the center of the lid if it moves place the jar in the refrigerator  use within 10 days( if it lasts that long ) remove the rings date and label the jars store on a pantry shelf or in a cabinet away from heat use with in 6 months.