Berry Patriotic
Friday, June 29, 2012 at 2:00AM | Taneasha 
Since the 4th of July is next week, I decided to be a good little patriotic American and make red, white, and blue food, and chant 'USA' a few times. In reality it would probably be much more American if it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes, but believe it or not, they’re not necessary. This little tasty bite is colorful, delicious, and actually quite healthy. It’s the perfect little nibble to add to your barbeque menu.
Here’s what you need:
- Large strawberries
- Blueberries
- 1 15oz. container of full fat ricotta
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 orange
Dump the ricotta into a mixing bowl. I know, it looks like a big pile of paste, which you haven’t been interested in eating since you were 5. It gets better, though. I promise.
Add about a teaspoon of orange zest.
Squeeze in about a Tablespoon of the juice from the orange. (no I didn’t measure these things, but you can if you want to go to the effort)
Whip that together for a good minute or two. The ricotta should become nice and fluffy.
Sift the powdered sugar over the top and mix until it’s completely incorporated. Make sure you scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl at some point.
Now, put that into the fridge to chill while you prep your strawberries. After you’ve washed them, run a knife around the top to remove the hull, leaving an empty cavity.
Then turn the strawberry over and slice off the tip.
You want to remove enough that it has a nice flat base to stand on.
There should be enough filling for around 30 strawberries or so, depending on their size. When I’m in need of large ones, I can usually count on Costco to have some in stock. Go ahead and prep as many strawberries as you want and line them up on a sheet pan. (Feel free to line it with parchment.)
Scoop the ricotta mixture into a pastry bag with a medium star tip. You can just use a plastic bag with the corner cut off if you don’t have a pastry bag. It just won’t be star shaped. You could probably even just use a spoon and dollop it if you want. Otherwise, pipe the mixture into the cavity of the strawberry, filling it, and making a spiral on top.
Then place a blueberry on top of that. Isn’t that cute?
Repeat with the rest of your strawberries, filling, and blueberries.
These really are the perfect little patriotic snack. They’d make a fabulous snack or dessert for any summer evening, though. Juicy strawberries, filled with lightly sweet, orange, ricotta cream, and topped with a fresh blueberry. Seriously divine, and best of all, no oven required so you can keep your house cool.
What are your plans for the 4th of July?
Reader Comments (1)
I love this idea. They turned out beautiful too. :) Don't have any plans yet, and we are really not going to make any until the very last minute. lol