Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries

People want simple and delicious foods. They don't want to work too hard, but when they take a bite they want to feel like they did. Give the people what they want. The people want eight-minute desserts. They want cute polka dot place settings that match their desserts.

Ricotta over there in the dairy case? It is not some strange cross between the cousins cheese and milk. It has the best of both worlds: creamy and mild like milk or cream, but with a more substantial presence, like a cream cheese, quark or creme fraiche. It can go both ways, savory or sweet. As I am likely to do when given the option, I chose sweet (Savory, you had your turn with the broccoli rabe).

This ricotta mousse I have for you right here is fantastic. MAKE THIS. Make this now. Don't wait. It feels more decadent than a lot of things I've had lately (until I tell you about the butterscotch pudding I made, but that involved things like a stove and a whisk and many many more dirty dishes than this beautiful thing before you). Make dinner feel extra fancy tonight by taking approximately eight, yes eight minutes with your hand mixer.

You can get it done this morning before work. Let the flavors get to know each other while you're busy making that money. The ricotta is light and somehow still incredibly rich. You'll feel like a rock star when you figure out how easy it is-about ten minutes hands-on time. Honestly.

Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Rome

You need:

1 pound whole-milk ricotta

8 oz mascarpone

2/3 c sugar

1/4 cup (2 fl oz) rum or brandy (I used spiced rum)

1 c heavy cream

1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise for looks (or any other berry you can find that is decent this time of year, good luck)

2 tbsp confectioner's sugar

1 tsp white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

fresh mint leaves for garnish (I left them out because I have a thing for monochromatic images)

If your ricotta is throwing off liquid, which is probably is if it is very fresh, spoon it into a colander or cheesecloth and suspend it over a bowl. Cover, leaving it to drain in the fridge until it is dry, up to 24h. For a smoother texture, remove it once it is strained and force it through a coarse mesh sieve over a bowl. If you prefer a more rustic texture (or you're just lazy like me), use it as is.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mascarpone, granulated sugar, and rum. Using a spoon or spatula, mix until well blended.

In another bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer on med-high speed, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Using a spatula and a light hand, fold the whipped cream into the the ricotta mixture until blended.

Have ready 6 1-cup bowls or goblets. Spoon ricotta mixture into bowls, dividing evenly. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 to let the flavors meld.

About 1h before serving, place the strawberries in a bowl, stir in confectioner's sugar, and refrigerate until serving.

To serve, stir vinegar into strawberries. Top each serving with the berries and their juices. Garnish with mint leaves, serve immediately.

Orange-Grand Marnier Chiffon Cake

Those of you who know me in person, and not just on the internet - hey followers who aren't related to us! We love you! - know that I have a THING for baking cakes. Big cakes. Triple layer cakes. Cakes that serve 20 people. Cakes cakes cakes. The thing is, I can't really indulge in baking ginormo cakes all the time - there are only two of us in the Fierce household and it's not really healthy to keep layer cakes on hand.

When any birthday rolls around, I immediately head to my go-to-celebration-cake-bible: Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes. This book is truly a stellar collection of beautiful, tasty, very-tall cakes. So yes, I did make my own birthday cake. Granted, I brought it to work to share with my fellow birthday colleagues. Apparently we're awash in Aquarians. (And yes, these photos were taken in my office conference room, so please, it's not my fault the lighting is so bad. Just pretend I am as good a photographer as J Fierce, okay?)

I followed the recipe word-for-word except for one wee thing: the white chocolate frosting. I personally cannot stand white chocolate. Might as well eat a crayon. I attempted it for this one, and did the filling and crumb-coat the night before, leaving the rest of the frosting overnight to set up. And set up it did NOT - I think, perhaps because I started this cake at eight pm and it was around midnight when I got to the frosting, and yes, this is what I do instead of go to happy hour. The nastypants white chocolate was too hot when I folded in the whipped cream, leaving the frosting grainy. There was no way I was covering the cake in three cups full o'nastiness (J Fierce notes that she has asked her sister to consult a thesaurus the next time she uses two variations on the word nasty so close together). So I just did a quick whipped cream with a couple of generous splashes of GM instead and topped the cake with white chocolate curls. Some people like eating crayons, I guess.

So - enough about baking it; how did it taste? I have to say. It was pretty darn delicious. This chiffon cake, with no butter and merely 1/4 cup of oil, has a delicate spongy-crumb texture which pairs perfectly with the orangey Grand Marnier syrup and orange zest. Baking the cake the night before serving really allows the syrup to sink in to the cake, getting everyone nicely acquainted in the flavor department. Please, take a moment to observe the diagram below to see the Flavor Distribution Departments. Happy Birthday to Me, Indeed.

Orange-Grand Marnier Cake: makes a 9-inch triple-layer cake; serves 16-20

Ingredients

1 3/4 c cake flour

1 1/2 c sugar (divided)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend

8 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp grated orange zest

1/3 c water

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Grand Mariner Syrup (recipe follows)

Orange-Grand Marnier Frosting (recipe follows, if you like eating crayons)

Candied orange peel and/or white chocolate shavings for decoration

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottoms of three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment or waxed paper but do not grease the pans.

2. Sift the flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking soda and salt into a large bowl; stir to blend. Whisk in the oil, egg yolks, orange juice, orange zest and water under well blended.

3. Put the egg whites in a clean large mixer bowl with the cream of tartar and, using the whip attachment of an electric mixer, beat until frothy. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat or the cake will be dry.

4. Add one-fourth of the beaten whites to the cake batter and fold them in to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until no streams remain. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

5. Bake the cake layers for 16 - 18 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pans. Run a blunt knife around the rim of each cake to release the edges, invert onto a wire rack, and carefully peel off the paper liners.

6. To assemble your cake, place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate, flat side up. Using a brush, generously moisten the top of the layer with 1/4 c of the Grand Marnier Syrup; then spread 1 cup of the Orange-Grand Marnier Frosting evenly over it. Repeat with the second layer and more syrup and frosting. Top off with the third layer, flat side up. Brush with the last of the syrup and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish with candied orange peel and white chocolate shavings.

Grand Marnier Syrup

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c water

1/4 c Grand Marnier

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup is reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then stir in the Grand Marnier.

Orange-Grand Marnier Frosting

6 oz fine-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 c heavy cream

2 tablespoons Grand Mariner

1 tbsp grated orange zest

1. In a medium heatproof bowl, melt the white chocolate with 1/2 cup of the heavy cream over barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the Grand Marnier and orange zest.

2. In a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters, whip the remaining 2 cups cream until almost completely stiff. Add the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture and gently fold it in.

Alternate idea: don't waste your money on white chocolate and instead just get your bowl and beaters nice and cold (pop them in the freezer for ten minutes or so), and whip a pint of heavy cream with a few healthy tablespoons of sugar and a couple of glugs of GM. Trust me on this one.

Peanut Butter Cookies

If you're anything like The Sisters Fierce, you grew up with the belief that mixed nuts are a very important part of life.  "It's not a party unless there are mixed nuts!"  (Ten points to the first commenter who knows who said this, and Dad you can't play.)  Canisters upon canisters tucked away in cabinets, those little tins of scrumptious-ness were always on hand - cashews, macadamia, brazil nuts, almonds, maybe some hazelnuts - or heaven help us some pecans! - if you're feeling extra fancy.  And always, always always always, peanuts.  The lowly peanut, always the last remaining little nuts in those salty mixes.  They always get picked over, left alone after the more attractive nuts get gobbled up.

Be silent no more, little peanut!  You're the star of the Mixed Nut Brigade once we get you into these cookies.  Containing a double dose of peanutty punch, these cookies are heavenly.  The batter? Delicious.  The aroma as they're baking in the oven?  Perfumes your entire one-bedroom-apartment.  (If you have a Real House the delicious scent may be confined to your kitchen.)  The taste?  Crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle.  In short, these cookies make the peanut shine.

The best way to make these cookies is to enjoy a federal holiday, watching hours of HGTV reruns, and experimenting with cookie sizes with a girlfriend who happens to be an excellent Crosshatcher Of Peanut Butter Cookies.  If you can't fit all that into your schedule ... sucks to be you, I guess.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Adapted ever-so-slightly from the America's Test Kitchen Monster Cookbook

2 ½ c. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still firm
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. roasted salted peanuts, finely ground in food processor


Adjust oven rack to low-center position. Heat oven to 350°. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper.


Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl, set aside.


Either by hand or with electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes with electric mixer, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Add ground peanuts, stir gently until just incorporated.  Resist the temptation to eat the batter by the spoonful.


Working with generous 2 tablespoons each time, roll dough into 2 inch balls. Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 ½ inches between each ball. Press each dough ball twice with dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crosshatched design. Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along the edges (but not on top--they will look slightly underbaked) about 10-12 minutes.