delvious

Yes, there are chocolate cookie crumbs on those flowers.


After I got home from the farmers’ market with my bounty, I vaguely remembered seeing a dessert recipe involving squash blossoms.  I found it buried in my saved recipes and questioned my decision to set aside some extra ricotta and a few of the smaller blossoms, wondering if the slight zucchini flavor would cooperate with honey and chocolate.





I’m glad I went ahead with it, however, since this was unlike any dessert I’ve ever made.  I’d recommend slightly overstuffing each flower, as the best part was the slightly caramelized ricotta that oozed out while baking.  Serve it with some fresh berries that have been macerated with a bit of sugar .

Baked Zucchini Blossoms with Honey Ricotta

Inspired by Waldy Malouf

Prep time + Bake time: 10 minutes + 15 minutes

Serves 3

Ingredients

3 tbsp freshly made ricotta

1 1/2 tbsp honey

Generous pinch of cinnamon

Tiny pinch of nutmeg

1 egg white, beaten

3 medium zucchini blossoms, rinsed with stamens removed

1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

2.  In a small bowl, combine ricotta and honey.  Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

3.  Add about half of the beaten egg white  to the ricotta mixture.  (Use immediately, or refrigerate until you are ready to stuff the blossoms.)

3.  Carefully spoon 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each blossom.  Gently twist the ends closed and place side by side on the prepared baking sheet.

4.  Brush the remaining egg white over the stuffed blossoms, and sprinkle the chocolate cookie crumbs on top.

5.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Serve warm.

Breakfast Idea: Honey Ricotta Cornbread

I have a penchant for leftovers in any form, so I tupperwared the remaining spoonful of honey ricotta and put it in the fridge hoping I would find a good use for it later on.  The next morning I preheated the oven to 375F, grabbed a piece of leftover cornbread, slathered it with the ricotta mixture, baked it about 10 minutes until the top was tinted golden brown, and dolloped it with some homemade cherry jam.  It was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in awhile.  Even if squash blossoms for dessert lacks appeal, don’t hesitate to make a batch of the filling.

No Comments | In: Dessert | tags: honey, ricotta, zucchini blossoms. | #

Have you ever tried a zucchini blossom before?  Delicately flavored and conveniently stuffable, they are often brimming with a cheesy filling, lightly battered and deep fried.   As much as I love deep fried anything, I decided to skip the mess and tried baking a lighter version of the typical preparation.

Recipe

A Saturday farmers’ market trip yielded these just-picked squash blossoms, fragrant basil and some amazing freshly made ricotta.  (Once you’ve had fresh ricotta, you will not be able to go back to the kind you would find next to the cream cheese at the grocery store.)

The hardest part of this recipe is finding the right high-quality ingredients.  Once you’ve got them, all that is left to do is chop some basil, crush some garlic, crack an egg, and stir in some Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and ground pepper.  I carefully spooned the filling into the blossoms, twisted the tops shut and sprinkled them with breadcrumbs.  After 20 minutes in the oven, the filling will firm up a bit and the breadcrumbs will get toasty.  It’s delicious, and no one has to know this impressive looking appetizer only took 15 minutes to prepare.

Baked Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Basil Ricotta

A Delvious original recipe

Prep time + Bake time: 15 minutes + 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh ricotta

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 egg, beaten

6 large zucchini blossoms, rinsed with stamens removed

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a sheet tray with non-stick cooking spray or butter.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, basil, garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3.  Once you are satisfied with the taste of the filling, stir in the beaten egg.  (If you are making the filling ahead of time, refrigerate until you are ready to bake the blossoms.)

4.  Carefully spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the filling into each blossom.  Gently twist the tops closed and place them side by side on the prepared baking sheet.

5.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly on top of the stuffed blossoms.

6.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted.  Serve warm.

3 Comments | In: Appetizer | tags: basil, breadcrumbs, garlic, ricotta, zucchini blossoms. | #