The Fall 2015/Winter 2016 issue of Richmond magazine's dine is on newsstands now! Check out these sweet treat recipes - they're just begging for a spot at your table this holiday season, and they make great food gifts, too.
Orange Ricotta Scones
Orange Ricotta Scones (Recipe courtesy Morgan Porter of Perk! Coffee + Lunchbox; photo by Steve Hedberg)
Scones:
2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
A pinch of kosher salt
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
8 ounces of fresh ricotta, drained
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of orange zest
Glaze:
¼ cup of orange juice
1 teaspoon of orange zest
2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream sugar and butter in a mixer on high until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium and crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the ricotta, vanilla and orange zest and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture with the cream mixture, and mix on low until just combined. Drop the dough onto the baking sheets using a large ice cream scoop (¼-cup size), and bake scones for 20 to 22 minutes until they are puffed and light golden. Remove from the oven and cool before glazing.
To glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, orange juice and orange zest to make a smooth mixture. Using a spoon, coat the tops of the scones with the glaze. (Glaze atop wire racks over cookie sheets to minimize the mess.) Let your scones dry completely (about 2 hours) before storing or serving.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Fred + Elliott Food Styling & Photography
Pumpkin Cheesecake (Recipe courtesy Lucy's Restaurant; photo by Fred + Elliott Food Styling & Photography)
Filling:
2 ½ pounds of cream cheese
½ cup of sugar
½ cup of heavy cream
2 cups of canned pumpkin
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon of allspice
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Crust:
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 ½cups of toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
¾ cup of graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons of melted butter
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and begin making the filling in an electric mixer by creaming together the cream cheese and ½ cup of sugar until it is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn on low. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, allowing each to be incorporated thoroughly. Once they are, add the pumpkin and mix, then add the cream and seasonings. Thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, mix the nuts, sugar and graham cracker crumbs, then add butter and stir everything together to form the crust. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 3-inch-tall, 10-inch-wide cake pan. Spray the pan lightly with pan release and place the paper in the bottom. Pour in the crust mixture and evenly spread it on the bottom of the pan. Lightly press the crust into the crevices. Once you’ve formed the crust, pour the batter on the crust and place the pan in a water bath with room-temperature water that reaches halfway up the side of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it has set.
Oatmeal Cream Pies
Oatmeal Cream Pies (Recipe courtesy Shyndigz; photo by Fred + Elliott Food Styling & Photography)
Cookies:
1 pound of butter
1 2⁄3 cup of light brown sugar
¾ cup and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
3 eggs
½ tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
½ tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
6 1⁄8 cups of oatmeal
Icing:
1⁄3 pound of butter
2⁄3 pound of cream cheese
4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the cookies by creaming together 1 pound of butter, the light brown sugar and the granulated sugar, until smooth. Add eggs and ½ tablespoon of vanilla in stages, and mix/scrape well after adding each stage. Then add the flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Fold in the oats. Scoop the cookie dough in ¼-cup portions and slightly press down onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, remove and let cookies cool. Turn your attention to the cream cheese icing, which is made by creaming 1⁄3 pound of butter with all of the cream cheese in a bowl or a mixer, then slowly adding the confectioners’ sugar and beating for 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute. Once the cookies have cooled, scoop ¼ cup of icing and portion onto the flat side of half of the cookies, then sandwich each with an un-iced oatmeal cookie. Refrigerate until set.
