Hi, I am a Personal Chef in the Vancouver, WA area and have a business teaching people about food and cooking. I enjoy helping people learn about new things and watching their creativity grow. I have a blog site at:
www.food-eze.blogspot.com stop by check it out and feel free to ask questions.
This is a dessert that I made recently for a cooking party that I held. This is a very simple, yet satisfying dessert that could follow most any meal. One of the ingredients in this dish is a vanilla sugar which is very easy to make.
Vanilla Sugar:
1 whole vanilla bean
2 Cups of granulated sugar
Split the vanilla bean and using a knife, scrape out the vanilla paste from the center and add to the sugar. Now, you'll need to combine the two by using a food processor or if you don't have one a coffee grinder works well also.
Sweet Ricotta with fresh fruit compote topped with vanilla sugar croutons.
Ricotta Mix:
1 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
3 tsp Orange zest
1 tsp Lemon zest
1 Tbsp Vanilla Sugar
1 tsp sliced mint leaves
Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and chill until ready to use.
Fruit Compote:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup blueberries
8 strawberries (quartered)
Put the juices in a sauce pan with the sugar and heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Next, add the fruit and turn the heat up and allow to boil for 2 minutes then reduce to a simmer for another 10 minutes. Set the compote aside until ready to use, you should serve this slightly warmed.
Croutons:
2-3 slices of Ciabatta bread cut into cubes
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp Vanilla Sugar
Procedure:
Take the butter and melt in the microwave then add the sugar and mix completely. Now put the bread cubes in a bowl and pour the butter over them and toss to coat. Now place the croutons on a baking sheet and put into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. (you may need to adjust the time depending on your oven)
To serve this dessert place a couple of scoops of the sweet ricotta mix onto a dessert plate, and top with the warm fruit compote a croutons. This is a very simple dessert that looks classy, so try this out at your next dinner party and impress your friends.
Easy dessert anyone can make! 
