Strawberry Crisp with Whipped Vanilla Ricotta
Fruit crisps, one of America’s favorite desserts, are traditionally accompanied by vanilla ice cream. Yet, what happens when you take this classic dessert and italianize it with a dollop of delicious whipped ricotta? One word: heaven.
Although often called a cheese, Italian ricotta is actually a latticino or dairy by-product. It’s made from whey, which is the watery liquid that remains after cow, sheep, goat or buffalo cheese are made. The end result is low in fat, soft and naturally sweet. Ricotta is found in many Italian recipes, used often to fill many savory dishes like lasagne and ravioli to desserts such as crostate or Sicilian cannoli.
Serves: 6-8
Preheat the oven to 375° (190°C). Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Put the strawberries in a bowl, pour in the lemon juice, mix well then spread them out in the baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and honey. Stir in the almond meal, whole wheat flour, rolled oats and chopped walnuts.
Carefully spoon the crisp evenly over the strawberries. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden.
With a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk together the ricotta, maple syrup and honey. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the mixture and fold into the whipped ricotta.
Let the crisp cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Top with a big scoop of whipped vanilla ricotta and a dash of cinnamon.
*To make the almond meal, put ¾ cup blanched or unblanched whole almonds into a food processor and blend until it becomes fine. (Don’t over blend otherwise it will turn to almond butter.)
