Ricotta cheese mini pastries

First of all, wanting my own cooking book, I'm learning how to write recipes for the book. It's quite interesting task to be my the own editor.


Ricotta cheese mini pastries
It's quite traditional pastries using farmer's cheese. In Russian these pastries were made with farmer's cheese (tvorog). I decided to tweak the recipe and make them with ricotta cheese, because ricotta cheese is available everywhere in US and Canada. Unfortunately, farmer's cheese is not that popular as ricotta and, truly speaking, many Russian immigrants still used to make farmer's cheese (tvorog) at home. Every woman has her own way to make tvorog and results are different. If you're good in making farmer's cheese you can use it for this recipe.
For those who want to try making farmer's cheese at home, I recommend some site with recipes to follow.

Here they are:
http://yulinkacooks.blogspot.com/2006/04/how-to-make-tvorog-farmers-cheese.html
http://cuceesprouts.com/2011/04/homemade-farmers-cheese/

Actually I found a nice recipe to make ricotta cheese at home on a blog of German Jew. Here's it is:
http://eatartword.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/milky-white-ricotta/


Make 5 dozens mini pastries
1 cup margarine, melted
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk or water
Prepare 2 bowls: one - big one, one - medium one. In a large bowl, mix the melted margarine with the ricotta cheese and 1 egg. In a medium bowl, mix baking powder, salt and flour. Slowly add flour mixture to a big bowl. Mix to obtain an homogeneous dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. After dough is smooth and elastic, wrap dough in plastic wrap. Put the dough into the fridge for 4-5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Roll out the portion of dough to about 1/8" thick on a floured board. Using a cutter or a drinking glass, cut out approximately 3 inch circles. Each circle sprinkle with sugar and fold into quarters (fold in a half and fold in a half again). After removing the lacy bits of dough in between the circles, put it back in a bowl and use it up later. Re-roll your scraps until it is ALL used up! Repeat with rest of the dough.

Prepare the egg wash beating the 1 egg and mixing with water or milk. Brush with egg wash the surface of a pastry and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Творожные мини-пирожные

На 60 мини пирожных
1 чашка (225 грамм) маргарина, растопленного
1 чашка (250 грамм) творога или сыра рикотты
2 яйца
1 1/2 чайных ложки разрыхлителя
1/2 чайной ложки соли
2 1/2 (300 грамм) чашки муки
2 столовые ложки воды или молока

В одной посуде смешайте маргарин, творог и 1 яйцо. В другой посудине перемешать разрыхлитель, соль и муку. Добавуть мучную смесь к сырной. Замесить не слишком крутое тесто и положить в холодильник на 4-5 часов.

Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Разделить тесто на небольшие порции. Каждую порцию раскатать. Вырезать кружки. Каждый кружочек, посыпать сахаром и сложить пополам обсахаренной стороной внутрь. Получившейся полукруг поспать сахаром и снова сложить.
Проготовить яичную помазку. Смешать 1 яйцо с водой или молоком. Помазать пирожные и выложить на противень. Выпекать 15-20 минут. Вынуть, остудить и подавать с чаем или кофе.

Vareniki 1

Farmer's cheese pierogi (vareniki)

Make 30 medium size pierogies (vareniki)

Dough:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 hot boiling water
1 tablespoon corn oil

Filling:
1 1/2 cup farmer's cheese
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg

Sift together flour and salt on a work surface; form a mound with the flour and make a well in the center. Pour boiling water and oil into the center. Work the flour into the liquids slowly. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Allow dough to rest under and overturned bowl for 20 minutes.
Prepare filling.Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
Place a large soup pot with water on the stove on medium heat. Bring it to a boil while making varenike.
Divide dough in half. Roll out the portion of dough to about 1/8" thick on a floured board. Using a cutter or a drinking glass, cut out approximately 3 inch circles. Place only about 2 tsp of filling, maximum, in the center of the circle. Wet the edges of one half of the circle and bring the top half down. press well to seal the edges. After removing the lacy bits of dough in between the circles, put it back in a bowl and use it up later. Reroll your scraps until it is ALL used up! Repeat with second portion of the dough.

Drop in the varenike in batches. Let them cook until they float and then simmer for 10 minutes, the pot partially covered. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let them drain.

Some people like varenike with potatoes or mix of potatoes and cheese. I promise, to make potatoes varenike next time. I found a good and trustful recipe. I hope you will enjoy another recipe as well as mine.

Potato latkes

Potato latkes (modern way)

Makes 12 medium size latkes

4 medium potatoes
1/4 medium size onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup corn oil for frying

Peel potatoes and quarter. Place potatoes and onion in food processor and process until almost smooth. Transfer potato mixture to a bowl and stir in salt, egg, flour and baking soda. Mix well.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spоon 2 tablespoons potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with fork. reduce heat to moderate and cook until undersides are browned, about 3-5 minutes. Turn latkes over and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes more. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Дыруны.

На 12 блинчиков.

4 среднего размера картофелины
1/4 средней величины головки лука
1 чайная ложка соли
1 яйцо
1/2 чашки муки
1/2 чайной ложки соды

1/2 чашки кукурузного масла для жарки.

Почистить картофель и разрезать на четвертинки. Положить картофель и лук в кухонный комбайн и прокрутить до получения глаской массы. Вылить картофельную массу в миску и добавить соль, яйцо, муку и соду. Хорошо перемешать.

Нагреть 1/4 чашки кукурузного масла на сковороде. Выкладывать по 4 блинчика.Каждый блинчик проблизительно по 2 столовые ложки картофельной массы. Жарить блинчика на каждой стороне по 3-5 минут. Выложить блинчики на бумажные полотенца.

Quick buns

Quick buns

Makes 20 medium size buns

2 cups farmer's cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter, 2 large eggs, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 5 teaspoons sesame seeds.

In a big bowl mix together farmer's cheese, eggs, sugar, and salt. Add melted butter. In another bowl mix flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to a big bowl. Mix well until dough is soft and slightly sticky, then turn out onto floured surface and let rest under a large greased bowl for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Shape each part of dough into 10 balls and place on greased baking sheet to rest for 5 minutes. Lightly brush balls with milk and sprinkle each ball with 1/4 tsp sesame seeds.

Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.

Быстрые творожные булочки

2 чашки (450грамм) творога обезжиренного,1/2 чашки (100 гр) сливочное масло, 2 яйца, 3 чашки муки, cоль 1 ч.л, 3 ч.л разрыхлителя, 3 столовых ложки cахара, 3 ст.л молока, 5 чайных ложек кунжутных семечек

Смешать в миске творог,яйца,сахар и соль.Растопить сливочное масло,остудить,чтобы оно было теплое и добавить в миску к творогу,яйцам соли и сахару.В муку добавить разрыхлитель и просеять.Добавить муку в творожную смесь и замесить тесто.Тесто на ощупь будет мягкое,но слегка липнуть к рукам.Накрыть полотенцем и оставить на 30 минут в теплом месте.

Разогреть духовку до 180 гр.Тесто разделить на 2 части.Каждую часть разделить на 10 частей и того получится 20.На слегка присыпанной мукой доске сформировать из каждой части круглые булочки.Положить их на противень выстланный бумагой для выпечки оставляя между булочками небольшое растояние.Кисточкой смазать каждую булочку сливками и посыпать кунжутом. Дать постоять ещё 5 минут.
После поставить противень в духовку и выпекать 20 минут.

Recipe from http://elena-fialka.livejournal.com/164635.html#cutid1

Roasted Eggplant Pate

Roasted Eggplant Pate

3 medium-sized eggplants, 4 medium size tomatoes,chopped; 1 medium size white onion, shopped; 2 garlic clove minced; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; salt, sour salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Slice eggplants in half lengthwise and roast in 400 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until very soft and creamy. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop out inside of eggplants.
While the eggplants are baking, drain liquid from tomatoes. Mix together tomatoes and onions. In a blender, pulse eggplants, tomatoes, and onionsuntil they turn into small chunks or, if preferred, into a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Stir well and season with salt, black pepper and sour salt to taste. Chill before serving (can be made a day in advance).

Sour salt (Citric Acid) - "A salt substance derived from acidic citrus fruits, such as lemon and limes, that is dried and formed into a powder or crystal. When used as an ingredient to flavor foods, it provides a distinctively sour or tart taste to the food dish. It is a common substance used in sausage making or canning to keep the color of fruits from darkening. It is commonly used as a substitute for lemon juice, providing a tart flavor with only a few grains of the salt. Since the flavor can overpower some recipes, it is best if used with sugar to arrive at an enjoyable blend between the sweet and sour taste. This type of salt, which may also be referred to as citric salt or citric acid is often used in recipes for Borscht, a cold beet soup, or lemon cheese cake." from Recipe Tips

I publish this recipe only on English because Russian women know the recipe very well.

Green Borscht

Green Borscht

Makes 4 sides-dish servings.

2 cups fresh spinach; 1 tablespoons cooking oil; 2 small chopped carrots (2/3 cups); 1 small chopped onion (1/2 cup); 4 cups vegetable stock or broth; 2 medium size potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced (optional); 4 tablespoons sour cream; salt and pepper by taste

Tear off stems from the spinach leaves and chop them small (the smaller the better. You can use food processor. Place spinach leaves into food processor and pulse several times.)

In a large saucepan, heat the cooking oil over the medium high heat, Add the chopped carrots and onion, cook and stir until tender. Add chicken stock or broth and the cubed potatoes. Bring to boiling, reduce the heat, Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper. Simmer on medium heat more 10-15 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with sliced hard-cooked eggs and sour cream.

Marinated Eggplant salad

4 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 eggplant, about 1.5 pounds, sliced lengthwise into 4-5 pieces, 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, 1 cup chopped cilantro, 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 garlic chopped cloves.
Marinade: 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon boiling water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt


Bring 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Add eggplant slices and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant, let it cool and then slice across into bite size pieces.

Prepare marinade. Mix together vinegar, olive oil, water, sugar, and salt. Taste it and adjust the level of salt if you need.

In a bowl combine the eggplant and marinade.

Refrigerate the dish for at least one day.

Салат из маринованного баклажана

4 чашки воды, 2 столовые ложки соли, 1 большой баклажан, нарезанный по длине на 4-5 кусков, 1 небольщая локовица красного лука, 1 чашка мелко нарезанной петрушки, 1 сладкий красный перец, 3 зубчика чеснока.

Маринад: 1/3 чашки уксуса, 1/4 чашки оливкового масла, 1 столовая ложка кипяченной воды, 1 столовая ложка сахара, 2 чайные ложки соли.

Закипятить 4 чашки воды с 2 столовыми ложками соли. Полозить в кипящую воды баклажан и кипатить 10 минут. Вынуть баклажан, дать остыть и разрезать куски баклажана на порционные.
Приготовить маринад. Смещать вместе оливковое масло, уксус, воду, соль и сахар. Попробoвать маринад на соль. Если нужно добавить еще. Перемешать баклажан, перец, лук, чеснок, петрушку и маринад. Поставить в холодильник на 1-2 дня.

Recipe from Olga Berman

Banana Bread

Best-Ever Banana Bread

Male 2 small loaves or 1 big one

1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine melted, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium size), 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4 inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5 inch) loaf pan.
In large bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and nuts just until moistened. If desired, fold in walnuts. Pour batter into pans.

Bake 8-inch loaves for 1 hour, 9-inch loaf for 1 1/4 hours; or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool about 1 hour before slicing.

Кекс из бананов.

2 маленьких кекса или 1 большой.

1 1/4 чашки сахара, 1/2 чашки сливочного масла или маргарина, 2 яйца, 1 1/2 чашки бананового пюре (4 банана средней величины), 1/2 чашки кефира, 1 чайная ложка ванильного экстракта, 2 1/2 чашки муки, 1 чайная ложка соды, 1 чайная ложки соли, 1 чашка мелко нарубленных грецких орехов.

Нагреть духовку до 350Ф. Приготовить 2 (8x4 дюймов) формочки или одну (9x5 дюймов) формочку. В большой посуде смешать сахар и масло. Добавить яйца, бананы и ванильный экстракт. Все хорошо взбить миксером. Добавить муку, соду и соль. Все хорошо перемешать. Добавить орехи. Тесто вылить в форму.

Если вы выбрали маленькие формочки, то печь кекс около 1 часа, если Вы выбрали большую формочку, то печь 1 1/4 часа. Проверить лучинкой на готовность. Вынуть из духовки и остудить в течении 1 часа перед тем, как начать нарезать.

Recipe comes from Gold Medal Flour