Caprese Pie

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Caprese Pie

If you guys are anything like me, you have a “thing” for delicious mozzarella cheese. There’s nothing better than those salty little bites of chewy goodness, am I right? So, when I was asked to participate in the 2013 Galbani® Caprese Challenge, I couldn’t have been more honored or excited. Any chance to work with mozzarella, ripe red tomatoes, and fresh green herbs and you can count me in!

Galbani Mozzarella Fresca™ is made in the Italian tradition of fior di latte using fresh cow’s milk. The cheese is gently stretched and kneaded, then fresh-sealed, leading to a fresh mozzarella cheese that is unparalleled in texture and flavor. The cheese is slightly firm and salty–wonderful! They also offer other delicious varieties packaged in water, as well as a marinated variety, which would be a perfect addition to any antipasto platter.

The Mozzarella Fresca was recently named a favorite fresh mozzarella by the editors of Saveur Magazine, and for good reason. It melts beautifully but maintains its body–great chew factor! I also found that when melted, it released very little liquid. So often with other mozzarella cheeses I’ve tried, they released so much water–that’s no good for a pizza! Galbani Mozzarella Fresca is truly a superior product. Look for it in your local supermarket’s specialty cheese display.

So, without further adieu, here is my entry for the 2013 Galbani Caprese Challenge. A simple pie crust filled with layers of ripe tomatoes, Mozzarella Fresca, herb sautéed onions, and a splash of balsamic vinegar then baked to bubbly perfection. Paired with a green salad, it’s the perfect light summer meal. Such a great way to put all of those gorgeous summer tomatoes and fresh herbs to use!

Voting is open now, so go vote! To celebrate this fun challenge, Galbani is giving away all kinds of fun prizes to voters through August 9, with a grand prize of $500 given to a random voter at the end of the contest. You can enter once a day, so go check out the other blogger’s fun spins on the classic Italian dish Caprese, and vote for a chance to win some great prizes!

2013 Galbani Caprese Challenge

Caprese Pie

1 9-inch pie shell
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
8 ounces Galbani® Mozzarella Fresca™
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt, freshly ground black pepper
sliced tomato, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. Add olive oil to a medium skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onions until they start to brown on the edges. Add the garlic, oregano, and 1 tablespoon chopped basil. Cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.

Place the sliced tomatoes in single layer on a cooling rack placed inside a baking pan, and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt. Let sit 15 minutes to let liquids drain. Blot with paper towels.

Cut the ball of cheese in half. Shred one half, and thinly slice the other half into 1/4-inch slices.

Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with the herbed onion mixture. Place a layer of sliced tomatoes in an even layer on top of the onions, followed by a layer of half of the sliced mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Repeat layering process.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, remainder of the fresh basil, and a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes. Top with a few slices of tomato for garnish.

Bake at 350, uncovered, until brown and bubbly, for about 40 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.


Disclaimer: I have been compensated for my time to create an original recipe for the Galbani Caprese Challenge. As always, all thoughts are my own.

Black Forest Tart

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Black Forest Tart

Cherries. Glorious cherries. It’s rare that I get to actually make anything with them, as they usually get eaten within hours of bringing them home from the grocery store. But on rare occasions it does happen, and the results that ensue are usually out of this world.

Case in point? This Black Forest Tart. A rich chocolate crust, a light fluffy whipped cream filling, and plenty of delicious roasted cherries. Roasting fruit is a great way to reduce the water content, and intensifying flavor at the same time. That way you don’t end up with a waterlogged tart!

For as decadent and over-the-top as it looks, it was surprisingly light to the palette. Which, is perfect for these hot summer evenings when you want something sweet – but don’t want something that’s sure to weigh you down. And, let me just advise to go ahead and make the homemade chocolate syrup. It’s pure perfection drizzled over this dessert. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Black Forest Tart

For the tart shell:
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the filling:
4 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
3-4 tbsp. sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
chocolate syrup, for drizzle

To make the tart shell, whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside. Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Process briefly to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. (Note: This can just as easily be done with a stand mixer or by hand with a pastry cutter.) With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.) Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan. Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 F. Combine the cherries and sugar in a baking dish. Toss to combine. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cherries have softened slightly and start to release their juices. Let the cherries cool completely before assembling the tart.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Blend in the vanilla. Spoon about two-thirds of the roasted cherries into the cooled tart shell to form an even layer. Top with the whipped cream and smooth into an even layer over the cherries. Spoon the remaining cherries over the top of the whipped cream. If desired, drizzle a bit of chocolate syrup over the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Ricotta-Pineapple Pie

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Ricotta-Pineapple Pie

I’ve been meaning to share this recipe here on the blog for a long time. Oddly, I’d planned on making it this weekend – had all the ingredients in the fridge, waiting. But with the sad news this week, I wanted to make it so I could share it with you guys today.

This is one of the first desserts I made when learning to cook, The Sopranos Family Cookbook being one of the first cookbooks I owned. Needless to say, the show…and it’s anti-hero Tony Soprano, played by beloved James Gandolfini, hold a special place in my heart. Over the years there were so many great moments, and characters. Paulie Walnuts, Janice, Junior, Livia… I still find myself wondering what the characters would be up to today.

If anything, I know this ricotta pineapple pie would be in their lives. Carmella always made it when she wanted to “butter” someone up for a favor. The first time I made it I remember thinking that it was unlike anything I’d ever made before. The ricotta gives it such a unique texture and lightness, and not too sweet. And the pineapple topping is just the right amount of sweetness, with a hint of tart from the addition of fresh lemon juice.

I’ve modified a few things over the years. I like to use fresh pineapple instead of canned. I’ve found it has better flavor, and texture. Also, I use a blind-baked pie crust, as opposed to the graham cracker crust. It holds up better, making pretty slices possible.

Ricotta-Pineapple Pie

1 (9-inch) pie shell, homemade or frozen
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 (15 oz) container ricotta
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:
4 cups fresh pineapple, cubed (or a 20-oz can crushed pineapple)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 350.

If using fresh pineapple, place pineapple chunks in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse for about 10 – 1 second pulses. Set aside.

To make the filling, combine the sugar and cornstarch in stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Turn mixer on low to combine. Add the ricotta, eggs, heavy cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Carefully place into oven and bake for 50 minutes, until the pie is set around the edges but the center is still slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

To make the topping, drain the pineapple well, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the reserved pineapple juice and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring slightly, until thickened – about 1 minute. Add the pineapple. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Spread the pineapple mixture over the pie. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: adapted from The Sopranos Family Cookbook

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

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Raspberry Lemonade Bars

Have you guys been having mega-deals on gorgeous berries in the grocery stores right now too? The past couple weeks I’ve been coming home with at least one clamshell package each of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Ahh, I love summertime!

I’d had these bars on my radar for quite some time now, and finally got around to making them this week. If you like sweet-tart treats, well then this one is nothing short of amazing. Truly like raspberry lemonade in bar form. The filling is stiffer than you’d find in a traditional lemon bar, but still soft and gooey. And the color – isn’t it pure gorgeousness?

This is one I’m can’t wait to take to potlucks this summer, just because it’s so fun and different. Also looking forward to trying other varieties – blackberry or strawberry immediately comes to mind. Have a great weekend everyone!

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

For the crust:
2 1/4 sticks (18 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

For the raspberry lemon layer:
3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
6 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350? F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, and mix in the flour and salt just until incorporated. Add the dough to the prepared baking pan. Using floured hands, press into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven, leaving oven on.

While the crust is baking, make the top layer. Combine the sugar, flour, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the raspberries to a fine mesh sieve and press through, mashing with a spatula, to extract as much juice and pulp as possible, straining out the seeds. Add the egg whites and eggs to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk well to blend. Whisk in the raspberry puree and lemon juice until smooth.

Pour the mixture over the crust and bake until the center is just set and not longer jiggles when gently shaken, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Cover and chill well in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan. Place on a cutting board and slice into bars. Dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Source: adapted from sophistimom, via Annie’s Eats