The foundation of this dish is the delicious cheesecake.
RECIPES FROM THE EDITOR’S WIFE…
All it needs is your favorite beverage - and don’t hesitate to ask for seconds.
Your Italiano ingredients - It’sa so good.
The “frosting on the cake” so to speak is the coconut.
Thecia DeLap
The Bladen Journal
Ahhh, Cheesecake! Who doesn’t enjoy a mouthful of sinfully, decadent sweetness. Maybe it helps by making it gluten-free? Well, that’s my answer and I’m stickin’ to it! It’s creamy and not too sweet. You can eat it warm (right out of the oven), room temperature or chilled. The texture changes depending on temperature.
Here’s your shopping list:
1. 3 Large Eggs (does not have to be room temp)
2. 16 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
3. 1 Cup unsweetened packed Coconut (I used the sweetened in this recipe and it was amazing! The unsweetened would be the lesser of the calories).
4. 1 tsp Baking Powder
5. 1/3 Cup cornstarch
6. 1 Cup powdered sugar
7. 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The cake should bake on the middle rack of the oven.
First thing’s first: Drain the Ricotta Cheese in a fine sieve before mixing with the other ingredients. In a large mixing bowl beat the ricotta well with the powdered sugar (so that your cake does not come out too dense).
Add all other ingredients and beat. Pour the batter into an 8 or 9-inch springform pan that is greased and the bottom lined with parchment paper (If you don’t have a springform, you can use a square or loaf pan).
Bake for 40-45 minutes (I used 9- inch springform for 40 minutes. The smaller the pan, you may want to leave in a bit longer).
Remove from the oven and let it sit in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing. Sprinkle top with additional coconut or powdered sugar. Top with favorite fresh berries, if you’d like.
You will have the parchment paper underneath the cake, however, when you slice it is easily removed. Eat it warm or cover with plastic wrap. You can store at room temperature for a day in an airtight container or refrigerate for 3-4 days (guaranteed not to last that long…) You may want to experiment with the flavor of the cake.
Add a bit of lemon juice or zest if that is a cheesecake flavor you may like.
Fun Fact: Ricotta is a creamy Italian cheese with a slightly sweet, milky taste. It comes from the whey left over from cheese production and is high in protein, calcium, vitamin A and B12. So, this cake is super good for you! People pronounce it as “Re-Cott-a.” But the proper Italian pronunciation is “Re-gott” (don’t forget to twirl your R for authenticity).
Thecia DeLap is not only a successful mortgage lender for VanDyk Mortgage Corporation, but is also an Italian culinary artist who knows her way around the kitchen and has experience cooking, catering, entertaining and planning for large corporate events as well as smaller gatherings. To reach her, you can email her at thecia1@hotmail.com or message her at: http://www.facebook.com/vandykmortgagethecia