Starting new year off right

It’s been a great cooking week to welcome 2012. 

These cinnamon rolls have yeast in the dough and are sweetened with brown sugar and a touch of maple syrup.

Ricotta gnocchi with lemon and Parmesan are from a Michael Symon recipe.

It started New Year’s Day with the tried-and-true cream cheese cinnamon roll recipe from Saveur magazine. This has become a tradition to have the swirly dough boys on January 1. It takes some time since the rolls have yeast in them (you have to let the dough rise), but it is worth every step. It’s also one of the few days of the year to splurge, if you will.

 The dough is so soft and flaky. You get the crunch from the brown sugar-cinnamon-nut mixture, too. Do try these. 

Cream cheese is smeared on the dough before its rolled.

Later in the week was time for homemade ricotta. This was my first time making the soft cheese.

Making homemade ricotta uses four ingredients: kosher salt,whole milk, cream and an acid, such as lemon juice.

 I used Nancy Silverton’s recipe that appeared in Bon Appetit. The recipe made just enough ( 1 cup) to use in the ricotta gnocchi my family had for dinner Sunday night. The gnocchi recipe comes from Michael Symon in his book “Michael Symon’s Live to Cook.” Making homemade ricotta is more waiting than cooking. You heat the cream, milk, lemon juice and salt just until boiling, them remove from the heat and let the curds separate from the whey. Have some cheesecloth on hand to line a sieve placed inside a large bowl and pour the mixture into the bowl, trying to keep whatever curds have formed intact.

I let the mixture sit out for a few hours at room temperature. You could leave the ricotta in the fridge overnight. If all goes to plan there will be quite a bit of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Check every now and then to make sure the ricotta isn’t sitting in that liquid. Scoop it from the cheesecloth-lined bowl (it will be goopy) and you’re good to go.

Curds start separating from the whey.

I made the little pillows two days ahead and fried them in butter. I knew when they maintained shape and formed a nice brown crust on the outside from the fry in butter that this was going to be an improvement from the first time I made gnocchi. The previous version used potato and called for boiling, then frying.

They get even better with a butter sauce filled with mushrooms and peas. Top it off with Parmesan cheese and you’re set for an enjoyable meal. Homemade ricotta is creamier and more flavorful than what comes from the store. Do yourself a treat and make some. It only requires cream, whole milk, lemon juice, salt and some cheesecloth to allow for the moisture to seep out.