Spiced Apple Ricotta

Spiced Apple Ricotta

This recipe was just the product of a week-long brainstorm and a dire craving for something warm and spicy. The credit for the dessert's name goes to my friend, Marie French.

The first time I made it, I used Bartlett pears and it was just as delicious. The second time I made this (just to be sure it wasn't a fluke and to get a few external opinions) was last night for a few friends.

The response was a success! Everyone was blown away and one friend even licked his plate.

I still feel like it need to refine the recipe, but would really love to share it with you now.

Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients for the Apple layer:

•           3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
•           3 cups red wine
•           2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
•           1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
•           3 Tbs. granulated or raw sugar
•           1 Tbs. vanilla extract
•           1 tsp. salt
•           2 Tbs. Crushed granola or whole oats

Directions:

Combine the wine, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl. Blend well. Add the apples and let them marinate for 30 min in the fridge. Preheat oven at 375. Sprinkle the granola or whole oats in a buttered pie pan and arrange the apples on top. Pour ¼ cup of the liquid over the apples. Bake for about 20 min.

Remove the apples and let them cool. (approximately 20 min)

For the remaining liquid, I would suggest reducing it by at least half in a sauce pan, over the stove and using it as a side-syrup. If you’re serving this dish cold, the syrup helps to tie everything together. Or you can serve it over vanilla ice cream for another delicious treat.

Ingredients for Vanilla Ricotta

•           1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
•           1 Tbs. vanilla extract (powder works as well)
•           2 Tbs. granulated or raw sugar
•           A dash of nutmeg
•           1 tsp. salt

Directions:

        Combine ingredients in a bowl, by slowly folding them in. Chill for 15 min in the fridge.

Ingredients for Crunchy Topping

•           ½ cup Crushed granola or whole oats
•           1/3 cup of coconut
•           1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa
•           1 Tbs. flour
•           2 Tbs. bacon fat (can sub w/butter and a dash of salt)

Directions:

        Combine ingredients in a bowl and blend thoroughly.

The final step:

Pre-heat oven to 450. After the apples have cooled, spread the ricotta mixture evenly over them. Then sprinkle over the crunchy topping – try to coat evenly. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 min, or however long it takes to crisp the topping.

Remove your spiced apple ricotta from the fridge and let it cool for at least 20 minutes.

Slice, serve, enjoy!

Bacon Brownies Recipe

Bacon Brownies

I know the words “Bacon + Brownies” in the same sentence are hard to swallow, but I’ll swear to this: Once you go bacon, you’ll never be satisfied with a plain ol’ brownie again. And I promise that when you bite into these bacon brownies, you won’t get a chunk of meat that feels like it doesn’t belong there.

These bacon brownies will give you the best foodgasm of your life (my friends refer to them as “chocolate bacon crack”). They’re amazingly moist, with a crunchy-sweet bacon candy topping and the flavors meld perfectly together. Even if you’re not a bacon fan you’ll still love these brownies.

Here’s the recipe for the best Bacon Brownies EVER!

Bacon Brownie Ingredients

• ½ cup Bacon Fat
• 4 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate
• A pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 4 Regular-sized Eggs (or 3 jumbo)
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 2 cups Granulated Sugar (+ 1 Tbs. for the Bacon Topping)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 strips of Candied Bacon
• 2 Tbs. hardened Sugar from the Candied Bacon process
• ¼ cup crushed Pecans

Bacon Brownie Preparation

1. In a double boiler, slowly melt the ½-cup bacon fat with the unsweetened chocolate and Cayenne pepper, stirring occasionally until well blended.
2. Let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature (keep it liquid – do not let it get hard).
3. In a large bowl, beat the 4 eggs together until light and foamy.
4. Continue to beat, while adding the Salt, sugar and Vanilla.
5. While still beating
6. Add the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar mixture and with just a few swift strokes combine. Even if you normally use an electric mixer, do this part manually. Before the mixture becomes uniformly colored, gently mix in the all-purpose flower (sifted flour is recommended to ensure there are no floury clumps).
7. Add brownie mixture to a 10x10 inch well-buttered (or greased) baking pan.

Bacon Topping Preparation

1. Crush the candied bacon and the hardened sugar left from the candied bacon preparation into little bits.
2. Combine the crushed candied bacon with the crushed pecans and a Tbs. of granulated sugar and mix well.
3. Sprinkle the candied bacon/pecan mixture evenly over the bacon brownie batter.

Bake the bacon brownies at 350°F for approximately 40 minutes. You can check to see if your bacon brownies are done baking by taking a regular toothpick and poking through the center of the baking pan. If the brownies are ready, the batter won’t stick, but there should be a little bacon brownie residue left on the toothpick to ensure the brownies are still moist.

Let the bacon brownies cool to room temperature and then cut into squares and serve.

Do you love bacon? Check out these bacon treats!

• new! Bacon Brownies Recipe
• Brown Sugar Candied Bacon (With a Kick)
• The Bloody Hogger
• Bacon Apple Martini
• Fat Washing Process for Bacon-Infused Liquor
• Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onion, Applewood Bacon & Swiss Gruyere Cheese
• Super Cheesy 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese
• Pecan-Crusted French Toast