Cherries With Chocolate In Ricotta Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing cakes from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and ricotta until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and extracts; beat until smooth. , Drain cherries well, reserving 1 teaspoon cherry juice. Chop cherries. Stir chopped cherries, chocolate chips and reserved cherry juice into ricotta mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until spreadable., In another large bowl, cream shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Add enough water to achieve a spreadable consistency. Tint 3/4 cup frosting pink. Tint 1/4 cup frosting green. Set aside 1-1/2 cups white frosting., Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place one layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining white frosting over the top and sides of cake , To decorate, cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert tip #5. Fill the bag with reserved white frosting; pipe vines on cake. Change to shell tip #21; pipe shell border along bottom and top edges. Use petal tip #103 and pink frosting to pipe the rosebuds. Use leaf tip #67 and green frosting to pipe the leaves. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter or oil a 4-cup glass loaf pan. Line the bottom and ends of the pan with a long piece of parchment paper.
• Blend the ricotta, milk, sour cream, eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest in the blender or food processor, until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until just set and barely golden, about 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Cherries: Toss the cherries, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Cook cherry mixture over medium-high heat until they soften and the juice gets syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and lemon juice.
• Lift cheesecake out of the pan by the paper and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into serving pieces and place on a platter. Spoon the warm or room temperature cherries on top. Serve.
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Steps:

• Place cherries in a large, shallow, heat-proof bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine wine, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, basil, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour hot liquid over cherries. Set aside until mixture is room temperature and cherries are slightly soft, about 1 hour.
• Drain cherries, reserving the poaching liquid. Discard basil, vanilla bean, and lemon zest. Return cherries to large bowl. Place reserved poaching liquid in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; continue to boil until liquid has reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Pour hot liquid over cherries. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight. Serve in shallow bowls, topped with a spoonful of ricotta.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, place the Port, cinnamon and vanilla bean, and simmer to reduce to 1 cup. Add the cherries and heat through. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons juice drained from the cherries then stir it gently into the Port and cherries and cook gently until thickened.
• Place 1/3 cup ricotta into each of 6 dessert bowls, then top it with the hot Port and cherry sauce.

Steps:

• Whole wheat crackers, for serving
• Combine the cheese, cherries, sour cream and honey in a bowl. Fold the ingredients together so as not to discolor the ricotta from the cherries. Season with salt.
• Place the mixture in a serving container and top with the chopped almonds. Serve with whole wheat crackers.