A few loose ends came together that resulted in these soft summer berry ricotta squares.
I had half a kilo of languishing ricotta cheese in my fridge, which I had bought to make these savory zucchini corn and bacon crepes, or some stuffed jumbo sea shell pasta. Or maybe this lemon polenta cake. Who knows. It's the third time I find myself buying ricotta and not using it in the last few months, so it's accurate to say I don't know either.
Then there is the issue of the freezer. The black hole that sucks anything and everything I make. To use later of course. I don't throw away good food, I freeze it. Then I throw half of it away on a later date. But since it's not freshly made and have lost any perkiness it once had, it doesn't bother me much.
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But summer berries are a different story. I took the time last summer to individually freeze and then bag sweet fresh raspberries, blackberries and pitted cherries. For now, a cold, windy and crisp day like today, a day before the official start of winter, and my birthday.
Yep, today is my birthday. A pile of years have managed to creep surreptitiously and taken the count to 45.
And since celebrating my birthday is something I enjoy a lot, today I'm spending it at a friend's house, the one I mentioned in the chocolate chip cookie ice cream post. I went back and forth with what to do, how many friends to invite, a dinner, a brunch, a piyama party... too old huh?
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In the end my friend and her sister both offered their houses, since I´m still feeling a bit like I'm living in a battlefield after the flood two and a half months ago. I am not, but I don't feel my house is all nice and shiny to have a celebration the way I like to do it. So me and my girlfriends, a small close group, are heading over to Maria's house and having a brunch there. Isn't she a great
friend? Aren't good friends one of the main pillars in life?
friend? Aren't good friends one of the main pillars in life?
As you read this we're enjoying the holiday, since it's flag day (and my birthday of course!), drinking coffee, eating sun dried tomato pesto tartines, fosforitos (glazed puff pastry filled with ham and cheese), boozy fudgy hazelnut brownies, summer berry ricotta squares, a few mimosas maybe...
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These creamy and dense squares are a must if you're the least bit into sweet ricotta.
They have no crust but are similar to a ricotta pie, something very common in these latitudes. The berries are a tangy surprise, perfect to cut through the all that soft and monochromatic batter.
They have no crust but are similar to a ricotta pie, something very common in these latitudes. The berries are a tangy surprise, perfect to cut through the all that soft and monochromatic batter.
But I had to spend the day with all of you too, readers and friends of this little blog.
Life without it would not be the same, and without you it wouldn't make sense.
So cheers to all of you and a big thank you from the bottom of my soul for taking even a second to drop by whenever you can.
Life without it would not be the same, and without you it wouldn't make sense.
So cheers to all of you and a big thank you from the bottom of my soul for taking even a second to drop by whenever you can.
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This is the link to the recipe, it can be found at Banana & Chocolate. My only change was using frozen blackberries and raspberries on top.
Today's 10 (double because it's a birthday!) related recipes worth looking at:
Zabaglione: Italian Custard with Blackberries from Magnolia Days (one of my favorite desserts ever!)
Berries and Buttermilk Puddings from Parsley Sage and Sweet
Baked Ricotta with Lemon and Garlic from The Kitchn
Berries on a Cloud from Mel´s Kitchen Cafe
Spinach Almond and Berries Salad from That Skinny Chick can Bake (the reigning Berry Queen!)
Cherry Ricotta Tart from Pink Pattiserie
Blackberry Pie with Brandied Cream from Webicurean
Roasted Berries with Coconut and Lime from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Raspberry Ricotta Chocolate Cake from Playful Cooking
Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Vegetables from Hip Foodie Mom
Happy birthday, Paula! I hope you had a wonderful day 🙂 These bars look like a great treat to celebrate with. I freeze tons of fruit too. I don't pit the cherries first - too much work.
a belated but heartfelt birthday to you, paula. you are one of my favourite people in the blogging world! i hope you had a fabulous day with your friends - and thank you for sharing it with us.
PS i buy ricotta then forget why too!
Haha, I totally hear you about putting stuff in the freezer for a few weeks or months, and THEN throwing it away. That's my strategy as well, even though I generally hate throwing away food. But once it's languished in the freezer for awhile, I feel a lot less guilty 🙂
Happy Birthday, Paula! (a few days late) - BTW you are NEVER too old for a pajama party. 🙂 These ricotta berry squares look like they have a wonderful texture + I had fun clicking through all of the past recipes that you mentioned. So many I want to make! (especially those boozy brownies)
Happy birthday Paula, and thank you for sharing my recipe!
Delicious! Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!! I think these summer berry ricotta squares look like a prefect way to celebrate-enjoy your special birthday week 😉
Happy birthday! And how juicy and delicious do these little squares look?
Paula, one is NEVER too old for a pyjama party! And haven't you heard, 45 is the new 30 😉 It sounds like you had an utterly fabulous day, which you absolutely deserve. You've gone through a lot this past year and I mean it when I say that I'm hoping your 45th year brings you only bigger and better things. You're one of the sweetest, toughest ladies I know and I'm honoured to call you a friend. One day we'll meet and we'll drink, and laugh, and talk, and eat, and drink some more! Until then, I'll bake these delicious ricotta squares and eat it in your honour.
Thank you girl! SO looking forward to the day we meet!
Happy Belated birthday to you Paula! Hope it was a lovely, lovely day. Sounds like it was shaping up to be! Thank you for all of your delicious recipes and sweet thoughts!
¡Feliz cumpleaños, mi amiga! What a wonderful way to celebrate with close friends. If I had ricotta in my fridge, I would have been baking these instead of the summer berry cake that is in the oven now... I wish you a year of good fortune, happiness, culinary adventure and the love of good friends and family... ~ David
Thanks David! And you could make both recipes y´know...
You are right! Why make it an 'either/or' situation!
Happy Birthday, Paula! I adore Ricotta and know I would love these squares! Every time I visit you, I find something else I have to make! These just sounds incredible! A perfect summer dessert! Have a great weekend!
Happy Birthday Girl! I love the taste of fruits in desserts, and these squares look amazing and colorful 🙂