Gluten-Free Ricotta Brownies with Cherries
A few weeks ago I bought I big thing of cherries from the farmer's market, but they weren't quite sweet enough to eat on their own. I also managed to snag a free thing of homemade ricotta while I was there. So I started poking around the interwebs for recipes I could make using the two. I stumbled on this recipe from Edible Seattle for gluten free ricotta brownies with a fun cherry compote on top. I've already made them twice, so I figure this is likely to become a staple around here.
The brownies are dense and have a flourless torte-like consistency. The ricotta layer is not too sweet and makes a nice complement to the chocolate. They're definitely the best when they're right out of the refrigerator cold.
Ingredients:
- Chocolate Layer:
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 4 ounces Ghiradelli's bittersweet chocolate chips (~1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Ricotta Layer: (Optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup part skim ricotta
- Cherry Compote: (optional)
- 1 pound cherries, pitted and halved
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- Some cornstarch
Make the chocolate layer first by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, let any bubbles subside, then add the bittersweet chocolate, stirring constantly until completely smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt, and set aside. Whip the sugar and eggs together in the bowl of a mixture on high until light, about 3 minutes. With the machine on low, add the chocolate and butter mixture in a slow, steady stream, mixing until uniform in color. Sift the cocoa over the batter and fold it in until no dry spots remain. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth flat with a spatula.
Next, make the ricotta mixture by whisking one egg and 1/4 cup sugar until light. Add the ricotta, and whisk until smooth. Pour the ricotta mixture over the chocolate layer and tip the pan to distribute the filling evenly.
Bake brownies for 35 to 40 minutes, until firm in the center. (They may puff and/or crack, but will settle again when cooling.) While the brownies are baking, make the cherry compote by cooking down the pitted cherries and maple syrup over medium heat until it gets good and mushy, then add some corn starch to thicken things up a bit. I have no idea how much I added, maybe 1 tablespoon.
Cool completely in the pan, at least 1 hour (we found they were easier to cut and best tasting after refrigerating overnight). To cut, loosen the edges of the brownies with a spatula. Then use the wax paper to pull the cold brownies out of the pan. Place brownies on a cutting board, leaving wax paper on. Slice into 16 squares, and remove paper.
Next, make the ricotta mixture by whisking one egg and 1/4 cup sugar until light. Add the ricotta, and whisk until smooth. Pour the ricotta mixture over the chocolate layer and tip the pan to distribute the filling evenly.
Bake brownies for 35 to 40 minutes, until firm in the center. (They may puff and/or crack, but will settle again when cooling.) While the brownies are baking, make the cherry compote by cooking down the pitted cherries and maple syrup over medium heat until it gets good and mushy, then add some corn starch to thicken things up a bit. I have no idea how much I added, maybe 1 tablespoon.
Cool completely in the pan, at least 1 hour (we found they were easier to cut and best tasting after refrigerating overnight). To cut, loosen the edges of the brownies with a spatula. Then use the wax paper to pull the cold brownies out of the pan. Place brownies on a cutting board, leaving wax paper on. Slice into 16 squares, and remove paper.
