Recipes and a Fork » Blueberry

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Whipped Cream and Blueberries

Recipes and a Fork — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:54:15 +0000

The Lemon Lover’s Breakfast.

Love Lemon? Leftover ricotta from last night’s dinner? Start the day with a twist to the traditional pancake. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Whipped Cream and Blueberries are simply lovely. The pancakes are light and tender; and crisp around the edges. The added lemon zest and juice in both the pancake and whipped cream create a bit of a tart and natural flavor. Topped with fresh blueberries, this will be an instant hit at weekend brunch. Give your arm a break and get your electric hand mixer out to prepare the egg whites and wonderful whipped cream.

Lemon Zest and Fresh Blueberries

Egg Yolks [left] and Ricotta Mixture [right]

Egg Whites, whipped into stiff peaks [left] and Pancake Batter [right]

Pancakes, cooking the first side, in large pan

Lemon Whipped Cream Ingredients in a Bowl [left] and Whipped Cream [right]

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Whipped Cream and Blueberries

Author: Adapted from Gourmet, September 1991 and Bon Apetit, April 2006 Serves: Yields twelve 3-4″ pancakes

Ingredients

4 large eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups ricotta
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp for whipped cream
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 1/2 tsp for whipped cream
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus 1 tsp for whipped cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Butter for the griddle
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and set aside a baking sheet.
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks ricotta, sugar and lemon zest to create a pale mixture. Stir in flour until just combined. If you do not have a whisk (or don’t want to clean one), use a fork.
In a separate bowl with an electric hand mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch a salt until they hold stiff peaks. To lift and lighten the ricotta mixture, fold in 1/4 of the egg whites into the mixture until combined. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites into the mixture to make the pancake batter.
Heat a griddle or large pan over high heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface. Reduce the heat to moderate and add a 1-2 tsp of butter to the pan. If you do not have a brush, swirl the pan so that the butter covers it. Working in batches, pour the batter onto the pan by 1/4 cup measures. Depending on how big your pan is, you can cook up to 4 pancakes at a time. Cook the pancakes for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden. When cooking the first side of each pancake, you will see the batter begins to bubble and the bottom set. If the pan gets too dry making the pancakes difficult to handle, add additional butter to the pan as necessary. Place the pancakes on to the sheet and transfer to the oven to keep them warm.
To make whip lemon whipped cream, add heavy cream, 1 1/2 tsp zest, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice to a bowl. Using the electric hand mixer, beat the ingredients until it lifts and thickens into soft peaks.
Remove the pancakes from the oven. To serve, stack a few pancakes on top of one another, add a dollop of whipped cream to the top of the pancakes, and blueberries over and around the pancakes.

Serving size: 3 pancakes plus whipped cream and blueberries Calories: 410 Fat: 25 g Saturated fat: 14 g Unsaturated fat: 10 g : 28 g Sugar: 10 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 18 g Cholesterol: 260 mg

Notes: Lemon Whipped Cream can be made up to 4 hours ahead. If making ahead, cover and chill whipped cream in the refrigerator, then re-whisk before serving. Also use part-skim ricotta, if whole ricotta is not available.

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Mixed-Berry Chocolate-Toffee Bites

Recipes and a Fork — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:36:38 +0000

The Lovely Berry Bite.

Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries – oh my! Summer’s pop-in-your-mouth delights sing well with chocolate and toffee bits in these confections. The Mixed-Berry Chocolate-Toffee Bite is the sweetness after dinner and the balance to a cup of coffee. Sprinkles of zest add another note of flavor and makes them even more pleasing to the eye. No need for baking. It just takes a quick hand to top melted chocolate for the wonderful Mixed-Berry Chocolate-Toffee Bites.

The Ingredients

Chopped Chocolate, Toffee Bits, and Orange Zest

Chocolate Rounds on Chilled Sheet

Mixed-Berry Chocolate-Toffee Bites

Author: Adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2008 Serves: Yields approx. 25 bites

Ingredients

2 cups of mixed berries, including raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
1 1/2 tsp zest of an orange, divided between 1 tsp and 1/2 tsp (optional)
3 oz chocolate covered toffee (or two 1.4oz Heath or Skor bars), chopped into 1/4″ pieces
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place the lined sheet in the freezer.
Melt the chopped chocolate in a small bowl set over a saucepan or pot of simmering water. Be sure the bowl does not touch the water. Allow the chocolate to sit undisturbed until it begins to melt, then stir the chocolate until it is smooth. Remove the bowl from over the water. Optional: Stir in 1 tsp orange zest into the melted chocolate. Otherwise set aside the zest to top each bite.
To assemble the bites, make sure the berries, zest and chocolate toffee pieces are close by as you will have to work quickly. Remove the lined sheet from the freezer. Pour 1 teaspoonful of the melted chocolate onto the sheet 1” apart to create a round. The chilled baking sheet will create a base for the chocolate round so do not spread the chocolate. Place at least 1 berry and 1 chocolate toffee bit on each melted top of a round. Sprinkle the zest on top of each round. Place baking sheet into a refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to allow the chocolate to set completely.
Remove chilled sheet from the refrigerator. Make sure your hands are cold and carefully remove bites from foil. The bites can be removed by using one hand to lift each bite and the other hand to peel the foil from the bite in the opposite direction. Place on a plate or serving tray and enjoy!

Serving size: 2 bites Calories: 120 Fat: 6 g Saturated fat: 4 g Unsaturated fat: 2 g : 16 g Sugar: 13 g Fiber: 2 g Protein: 1 g Cholesterol: 1 mg

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Blueberry Scones

Recipes and a Fork — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 06:10:11 +0000

The Treat with Coffee or Tea.

In search of a no-fail blueberry scone? Martha Stewart has got one down pat, of course. Buttery, creamy, and a hint of lemon, Blueberry Scones are a wonderful breakfast treat. A fantastic recipe for the blueberry season with a great technique that carefully ensures the right level of mixing, kneading and baking. Just remember Martha’s tip: do not work the dough too much or you’ll have dry and tough scones. Get your oven ready and share these generous scones with your friends and family.

Fresh Blueberries and Lemon

Liquid Mixture, Eggs and Cream [left] and Liquid Mixture in Well [right]

Dough [left] and Dough, Lightly Pat on Work Surface [right]

Dough Cut into Four 3″ Squares

Dough Cut into Triangles

Triangles topped with Cream

Blueberry Scones, Fresh out of the Oven

Blueberry Scones again. Let’s Eat!

Blueberry Scones

Author: Adapted from Martha Stewart Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: Yield 8 generous scones

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 tsp of lemon zest
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for sprinkling tops
2 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly flour a surface or large cutting board.
In a large bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. If you do not have a sifter, mix the dry ingredients well so that ingredients are distributed.
Cut the butter with 2 knives (or a pastry cutter, if you have one) until the largest pieces are the size of peas.
Using a fork, stir the butter pieces into the flour mixture. If clumps of butter form, use the fork to separate them. When the butter is distributed in mixture, gently stir in the blueberries and lemon zest. Make a deep well in the center of the dry mixture.
Pour 1/3 cream into a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, then add the eggs. Using a fork, whisk cream and egg into a liquid. Pour liquid into the well of the dry mixture.
Gently stir the liquid and dry mixture with a fork just until dough forms. Place dough on floured surface or cutting board, then carefully knead dough with your hands to mix. Lightly pat dough into a 6” square about 1 1/4” thick.
Lightly flour a large knife. Cut dough into four 3” squares. If knife gets too sticky, lightly flour dough between each cut of dough. Cut squares in half on the diagonal to form 8 triangles. For a very straight edge, pat the edges of each triangle with the floured knife. Place each triangle at least 1” apart on lined baking sheet.
With a back of a teaspoon (or a brush, if you have one), spread cream on the tops of each triangle. Sprinkle each triangle with sugar. Bake triangles for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden. Remove oven from tray and allow scones to cool.

Serving size: 1 scone Calories: 290 Fat: 15 g Saturated fat: 9 g Unsaturated fat: 6 g : 34 g Sugar: 8 g Fiber: 2 g Protein: 5 g Cholesterol: 90 mg

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