Strawberry Bites - Honeyed Ricotta
If you are anything like me, you LOVE to entertain but HATE the fuss. Actually, my favourite dinner parties are those that are completely impromptu with only an hour or two to think about what to make and to prep. The expectations of “perfection” are gone and the casualness factor is increased.This delicious strawberry and cream recipe fits the bill - easy to prepare and delicious after a big meal. If you make some extra brittle in Step 1, you will have also a few extra treats to spread out in little candy dishes. Yum!
Ingredients
- 8 walnut halves
- 2 tea spoon olive oil
- 3 tbsp honey, divided
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 12 large strawberries
- ¾ cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- Zest of 1 orange
- Option: A couple of tablespoons of milk, cream, sour cream or yogurt to thin ricotta if necessary
Instructions
- Heat a small frypan over medium-low heat. Add the oil and the walnuts, toast for 4 minutes, then add half the honey and the salt. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, tossing a few times. Remove from the heat, transfer to parchment paper and let cool. This will cool and become a Walnut Brittle. When cool, roughly chop.
- Carefully remove the tops of the strawberries, making a flat, slightly indented top—a place for the ricotta to sit on. Slice a thin slice off the bottom of each strawberry, so that the strawberry will be able to sit flat on a plate or platter.
- If necessary, mix ricotta with a couple of tablespoons of milk, cream, sour cream or yogurt. Dollop 1 tablespoon of ricotta on top of each strawberry. Repeat with all the berries. Drizzle all the ricotta-topped berries with the remaining honey, and sprinkle with orange zest and Walnut Brittle.
- If the ricotta is very stiff, you can add a couple of tablespoons of milk, cream, sour cream or yogurt