I am a wine hippie. Well actually I can say I am a hippie in all life matters. I definitely am. Or at least most of my friends see me like that. But...would a hippie buy not seasonal fruit? Don't think so. Well I did. Recently I am being a sad hippie on diet and when I saw Spanish, well ripe, nice smelling conservatory strawberries I really couldn't resist. I thought I deserved a touch of sweetness. Then carrying on with this thoughts I checked online for a cake recipe (yes I know I am on diet, but I like to give myself some tasty concessions at weekends) and I worked out on a personal version. The result was ( and my use of a past tense is not casual) a fresh, delicious, smooth and not too rich dessert that I paired with a sparkling sweet rose from Australia.
Here is what you need...
400 gr ricotta cheese
2eggs
150 gr sugar
200 gr flour
1 lemon
250 gr strawberries
50/80 gr white chocolate
2 table spoons rum or vermouth
And if you want to dress it with a (not strictly needed!!) strawberries coulis...
150 gr strawberries
water
2 table spoons sugar
2 table spoons sugar
Easy to prepare: mix ricotta and sugar to make a smooth cream. Add eggs, flour and strawberries in pieces,then lemon zest, lemon zest and juice rum and at last small pieces of white chocolate. Into the oven for around 40 min at 160 degrees.The texture should be similar to a cheese cake so do not overcook. When done you can either scatter some icing sugar on top or prepare your strawberries coulis by putting half a glass of water and the sugar on the stove till the sugar is melted. Then add the strawberries in pieces and keep it on low fire for 2-3 minutes, blend everything and add the alcohol (rum or vermouth).
My wine choice with it was something that is a fresh reminder of roses and strawberries, crispy, delicate and sweet but not overpowered. I found the right intensity of elegant flavors in a bottle of Innocent Bystander Pink Muscat (unfortunately a half bottle!!).This sparkling Australian wine is such a lovely refreshing drink by itself but matched perfectly with my springtime recalling dessert.
