Ricotta Cream with Shortbread

It's that time of year where things are heating up in Masterchef. Is anyone else super excited about tomorrow nights episode and New York next week? What about tonight's episode? Now that was a surprise! Okay, enough about the show. 

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Today's recipe is a combination of two recipes from the Masterchef Season 2 cook book. The Ricotta cream component of the recipe was originally made by a contestant with crostoli while the shortbread was made with a lemon cheesecake mousse. 

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Adapted Recipe from Masterchef Cook Book - Volume 2

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Serves 4-5

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Ingredients

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Ricotta Cream

250g fresh ricotta

300ml pouring cream

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 orange, zested

2 tablespoon walnuts

2 tablespoon dark chocolate (70%)

1 tablespoon Cointreau or Grand Marnier

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Shortbread

3/4 cup plain flour

80g cold unsalted butter, chopped

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg

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Method

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Shortbread

1. To make the dough, place flour, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and process until the mixtures resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and process until the mixture just comes together. This is the first time I had made shortbread, I didn't realise how difficult it would be. Make sure your measurements are exact. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

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2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Roll out dough between 2 floured sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick, then refrigerate for 10 minutes. Using a 5cm pastry cutter, cut out 12 rounds and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

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3. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and roll the edges of the rounds in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or until pale golden. Cool for 5 minutes on tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

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Ricotta Cream

1.  To make ricotta cream, using an electric mixer, beat the ricotta, sugar and orange zest until smooth. Leave some of the orange zest to use as a garnish. Beat in the cream, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve dollops of the cream in a glass topped with some orange zest. Serve with a couple of the shortbread biscuits.