Ricotta Cheesecake Cinnamon Rolls

I never knew what ricotta was until I met my husband. When I was growing up my mom substituted cottage cheese for anything that called for ricotta. Maybe she wouldn't have if she would have known just how amazingly simple it is to make. And it's fun to watch the transformation from liquid to curdles to a delicious and rich accompaniment to anything Italian or cinnamon rolls, of course!

I have only had ricotta cheesecake once before and remember it like it was yesterday. I have eaten many many desserts in my life and only remember a few that really stood out. Well, the ricotta cheesecake was one of them so I decided that ricotta cheesecake cinnamon rolls would be quite tasty. Turns out I was right!! And, it is a perfect excuse to basically eat dessert for breakfast!! Maybe you could eat a bowl of fruit alongside the roll so you don't feel so guilty! Ha!

There are four recipes to follow to complete this cinnamon roll.

Homemade Ricotta
4 c. whole milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. distilled white vinegar (some people use lemon but I prefer using vinegar)
1 t. salt

You will also need the following items to make ricotta:
-cheesecloth
-large bowl
-large fine sieve or colander

Layer two or three pieces of cheesecloth over colander and place the colander in the large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium sauce over medium high heat add milk, cream and salt. Bring to a boil stirring frequently to avoid scorching.

When mixture comes to a boil reduce heat to medium low, add vinegar and stir. Mixture will immediately curdle. Let simmer for about two minutes and strain over cheesecloth. Voila, you just made ricotta! I told you it was easy!

Let the ricotta cool. When you lift the colander up and out of the drain bowl you will see whey. DO NOT pour this down the drain, you will use it in the next step! Whey is great for any bread dough, just substitute it for water or milk.

Makes approximately 1 cup of ricotta and 2 1/2 cups whey.

Cinnamon Roll Dough
1 (1/4 oz) pkg active dry yeast
1/2 c. sugar
4-5 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
5 T. butter, melted
1 c. whey
3 eggs

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast, sugar, 3 cups flour and salt. Set aside.

In a microwave safe container melt butter and set aside. In another microwave safe container heat whey to 120-130 degrees F using a thermometer to check for accurate temp. Add melted butter to heated whey.

 

Mix with dry ingredients and stir in eggs. Add in remaining flour a little at a time until mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may need more or less flour. It is an approximate amount.

Dump dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead adding more flour if necessary. Knead 8-10 minutes. You can do a windowpane test (I learned this from one of Peter Reinhart's books - take small amount of dough and stretch it thin enough that you can see light through it without it tearing. If it tears, keep kneading until it doesn't) to make sure the gluten has released. Do not under-knead. Your dough won't be as soft or elastic.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise 45 minutes.

**I have had this cinnamon roll dough recipe in my recipe box for quite a while and I have no idea where it came from. If you know, please let me know and I will credit that person. The rest of the recipes are mine.

While dough is resting make the filling.

Ricotta Cheesecake Filling
1 c. ricotta
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. oats
2 1/2 T. cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl add all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Assembly
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured large work surface. Roll dough to a 13x9 inch rectangle.

In an even layer spread out filling on top of dough leaving a 1 inch space at one of the ends.
Roll dough starting with one end and pinch the seam together well to seal.

Score and cut log into 12 equal pieces. Arrange in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Glaze
2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
3 T. maple syrup
milk to thin

In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. If making the night before (so you don't have any work in the morning) cover and set aside.

In the morning remove rolls from the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before baking. The rolls will have risen only slightly.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Drizzle glaze over warm cinnamon rolls. Eat and enjoy!

Overnight Pancakes with Lilac Infused Blueberry Syrup

Aside from the little purple flowers (and by that I mean weeds) that grow in the Midwest grass in the spring that my sister forced me to eat as a kid I have officially never eaten a flower. I see those beautiful little packages of edible flowers at the market and smirk to myself thinking....does anyone actually eat those? Or are they just a stylish way to impress??!!

Well, the lilacs are in full bloom on my property right now. They smell amazing and are, of course, gorgeous. I have pink and purple varieties with huge clusters of flowers. Since lilacs are edible (and I have never tried them) I decided to make a homemade blueberry syrup infused with the lilac blossoms to go with my overnight pancakes. Why not use what's already growing!

Let's go ahead and see if all the 'crazies' out there eating flowers are right!!!!

This syrup was inspired by the fact that I don't really like maple syrup on my pancakes. I might be the only person in the country but I just don't love it, what can I say? Anyway, I like anything fruited on them so I can actually taste the pancake itself instead of a mouthful of syrup. Seriously, have you ever just eaten a pancake plain? They are fantastic!

I call these 'overnight' pancakes because something magical happens when you soak the oats in milk and let them sit overnight before cooking the cakes. Once cooked the pancakes have a nice texture you just can't get from traditional pancakes. The grittiness of the whole wheat flour is also a nice compliment to the oats.

Overnight Oatmeal Pancakes
2 c. oats
2 c. milk or buttermilk
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
4 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt

Preheat griddle (or my favorite - The Cuisinart Griddler) to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine oats and milk. Put in refrigerator the night before you plan to make pancakes.

In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, vanilla, and olive oil. Add soaked oats and stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add in wet ingredients and stir until mixture just comes together. Do not over mix.

Pour batter onto preheated griddle and cook on first side until bubbles start to form. Flip over and continue cooking until pancake is golden brown. Continue with remaining batter.

Keep pancakes warm by putting them in a baking dish covered with a clean dishcloth.

While pancakes are cooking start on the lilac infused syrup.

Lilac Infused Blueberry Syrup
1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 T. agave nectar
6-8 lilac blooms, washed and patted dry

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat cook blueberries, agave nectar and lilac blooms until liquid starts to thicken. Approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove lilac blooms and mash the blueberries with a potato masher. Strain with a fine sieve pushing down berries with a spoon to get all the juices out.

Pour sauce over pancakes topped with applesauce (or without). If you love maple syrup, can't live without it, and can't stray from the norm, drizzle a little on top of the lilac blueberry sauce. I won't tell anyone!

Sooooo, what's the verdict on the flower infused syrup on pancakes? It is actually nice. Maybe not my favorite thing in the world but there is a sophisticated tone - hinting on bitter tea, and a nice aroma that fills your nose while tasting a bitter blueberry.

It's probably a 'love it' or 'hate it' sort of thing. I am somewhere in the middle - if that's possible! :)

**I don't recommend eating the flowers with the pancakes. They are just a nice garnish! :)

Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ahhh, what could be better than lounging on a Saturday morning with a hot cup of tea, a Saveur in my hands and Ina Garten on the Food Network (Barefoot Contessa) softly explaining the best way to make, say, anything?! Oh, wait, I didn't hear that, it was my boys fighting over Lego mini figures and not so patiently waiting for breakfast. Hey, a mom can dream can't she?!

I don't often follow recipes exactly and like to put my own twist on things but I couldn't help but hear Ina in my head when I tried to change some things. She is the expert, not me, so I listened. Okay, I added more lemon that I was supposed to and changed the streusel topping but at least I tried. I didn't want to use an entire stick of butter on the top Ina!! I know it would have been delicious but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Sorry.

For the cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I used 1 teaspoon to make it more lemony - hence the title!)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling (I omitted this)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan. (I used a nine inch square glass baking dish.)

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on high for 4-5 minutes, until light. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, then add vanilla, lemon zest and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to batter until just combined. Fold in blueberries and stir with spatula to be sure batter is completely mixed.
 

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife.

For the streusel topping:

4 T. melted butter
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. fresh ground nutmeg

Mix together all dry ingredients. Pour melted butter over the top and combine.

With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve.

Oat Bran Muffins

I know what you're thinking.....bran muffins are only for old people! Think again. My entire family loves/eats these muffins. They are moist and delicious but not overly sweet. Perfect for breakfast!

I have worked hard to perfect a bran muffin recipe that I love and this is my 'perfect' bran muffin recipe:

Oat Bran Muffins
1 c. milk
1 1/2 c. oat bran
1/3 c. olive oil
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. agave nectar
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour (unbleached)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl combine milk and oat bran. Set aside to soak.

Meanwhile, in another small mixing bowl, combine oil, egg, vanilla, brown sugar, and agave nectar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add in oat bran mixture stirring to incorporate well.

Line a 12 whole muffin tin with liners and fill each evenly - approximately 3/4 full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted come out clean.

Spinach-Walnut Pesto Cream Cheese Spread

Several years ago in Italy I was sitting at a quaint little restaurant with an amazing bowl of basil pesto pasta in front of me. I had never had traditional pesto and was smiling ear to ear when I took the first bite. Needless to say I ate the entire bowl of pasta. Unfortunately, I realized later that I am miserably allergic to basil. Since I loved the dish so much I knew I had to find a way to satisfy my craving for that bowl of pesto!

Instead of basil I use spinach and substitute walnuts for pine nuts to make this pesto. I serve this dish often for my family because spinach and walnuts pack a lot of vitamins and antioxidants. I always have leftover pesto (after we serve it with pasta) and mixed with cream cheese it makes for a delicious morning breakfast treat.

**If you can have orange juice drink a glass with your pesto spread so it's easier for your body to absorb the iron from the spinach!

Spinach-Walnut Pesto Cream Cheese Spread
4 c. Fresh Spinach
1/2 c. Walnut halves or pieces
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese finely shredded
Olive Oil approximately 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
4 oz Cream Cheese
Bagel, toast, or bread

In a food processor add spinach, walnuts, garlic (I always give the garlic clove a rough chop before adding so someone doesn't get a large bite of raw garlic!), and parmesan and pulse until walnuts are roughly chopped. I also like using a microplane for the parmesan cheese to get it really finely shredded but you can use a box grater too.

Turn food processor on and stream in olive oil until pesto comes together to form a paste like consistency. Add salt to taste. Makes approximately one cup of pesto.

In a small bowl combine 4 oz cream cheese and 1/4 cup of pesto and mix well. Spread pesto cream cheese on your favorite bagel, toast or bread.