Ricotta Blueberry Squares

Growing up, like in many other families I suppose, there was that "Sunday cake" thing running. Even though my mother made sure we had some home made dessert every day, Sunday dessert had to be a little bit more special. A cake that everyone loved. A cake that took a little bit more time to prepare and could be made only at weekends though.
My mother was so good at making leavened sweet pastries, with yeast, and considering the rest easier, usually would pass me the recipe, the ingredients and the advice, often followed with a critical voice when I'd start doing something wrong (like taking heaping full tablespoons of flour instead of level ones, or not beating the egg whites correctly) while at the same time doing somethig else in the kitchen.
There were times when she'd make me prepare the same cake Sunday after Sunday just because the family appreciated it and she wouldn't get bothered or risk preparing something new.
Well, that's one thing where I am much different from her. I rarely prepare the same thing twice in a row. I even often forget about something I prepared previously, even if everybody liked it, and in this internet era, that floods us with a huge amount of new recipes to try, I'm always going fast forward. There are a few exceptions, though. It wouldn't be right if there weren't any. If you try something called Chocolate meringue cake (signed Donna Hay) how can you resist making it in every possible occasion? Or a cake so moist and delicious that you have to tie your hands in order not to finish it off within an hour (doors locked).
And some might become that staple recipe that you will pull out every time you see some nice fruit in front of you. You know, those nice round berries or cherries. Season after season.
Well, if you haven't decided yet what you're making this Sunday, here's that idea you might be looking for. And it's not even difficult or elaborate to make. And I'm guessing you already have all the ingredients in your pantry. So what are you waiting for?

Have a lovely day.

Ricotta Blueberry Squares

Dough:
* 50 g softened butter
* 40 g sugar
* 1 egg
* 75 g flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ricotta batter:
* 225 g ricotta cheese 
* 60 g powdered sugar
* 1 TBspoon shredded coconut
* 1/2 organic lemon (finely grated zest and 1 TBspoon juice)
* 1 egg
* 2 TBspoons flour
* + 150 g blueberries, fresh or frozen (or other fruit like cherries, raspberries, red currants etc.)

                         


For the ricotta batter, mix the ricotta with sugar and coconut using an electric mixer.
Add the egg and the lemon zest, plus lemon juice. Mixing on low speed add the flour.
Transfer the batter in the fridge while preparing the dough.

For the dough, cream the softened butter with sugar and vanilla extract.
Add the egg and then the flour previously sifted with the baking powder.
Grease and flour an 18x18 cm square baking pan or line it with baking paper.
Pour in the dough and level with a spoon or spatula.
Distribute the blueberries over the dough.
Take the ricotta batter out of the fridge and spoon uneven mounds over the fruit.
Bake the cake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 40 minutes or until golden in surface.
Let the cake cool down before cutting it into 9 squares.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving or prepare a simple glaze prepared with powdered sugar a little lemon juice.

Quadrotti alla ricotta e mirtilli

Base:
* 50 g di burro ammorbidito
* 40 g di zucchero
* 1 uovo
* 75 g di farina
* 1 cucchiaino di lievito per dolci
* 1/2 cucchiaino di estratto di vaniglia 
Ripieno di ricotta:
* 225 g di ricotta
* 60 g zucchero a velo
* 1 cucchiaio di cocco disidratato 
* 1/2 limone non trattato (buccia e 1 cucchiaio di succo)
* 1 uovo
* 2 cucchiai di farina
* + 150 g di mirtilli (o altra frutta come ciliege, lamponi, ribes ecc.)

Per il ripieno di ricotta, mescolate la ricotta con lo zucchero a velo e il cocco usando uno sbattitore elettrico per rendere la massa liscia. Unite il succo e la buccia finemente grattugiata di limone, e in seguito la farina mescolando alla velocità più bassa.
Mettete il composto di ricotta in frigo mentre preparate la base del dolce.

Mescolate il burro ammorbidito con lo zucchero e l'estratto di vaniglia (usando le fruste elettriche o un cucchiaio di legno). Aggiungete l'uovo e in seguito la farina setacciata con il lievito.
Imburrate e infarinate (o rivestite con la carta da forno) una teglia quadrata (18x18 cm).
Versatevi l'impasto e distribuitelo in maniera uniforme con il dorso di un cucchiaio o una spatola.
Distribuite i mirtilli sopra l'impasto.
Prendete il ripieno di ricotta e prelevatelo con un cucchiaio formando delle "montagnette" sopra la frutta.
Infornate il dolce a 180°C per circa 40 minuti o finché dorato.
Lasciatelo raffreddare e poi tagliatelo in 9 quadrotti.
Cospargeteli con lo zucchero a velo oppure preparate una semplice glassa con lo zucchero a velo e qualche goccia di succo di limone.

Kolač s ricottom i borovnicama

Tijesto:
* 50 g omekšalog maslaca
* 40 g šećera
* 1 jaje
* 75 g brašna
* 1 žličica praška za pecivo
* 1/2 žličice ekstrakta vanilije (ili 1/2 vanilin šećera)
Smjesa od ricotte:
* 225 g ricotte
* 60 g šećera u prahu
* 1 žlicakokosovog brašna
* 1/2 neprskanog limuna (naribana korica i 1 žlica soka)
* 1 jaje
* 2 žlice brašna
* + 150 g borovnica (ili drugog voća: npr. trešanja, malina, ribizli itd.)

Za smjesu od ricotte, izmiješajte mikserom ricottu sa šećerom u prahu i kokosovim brašnom.
Dodajte jaje, naribanu koricu i sok limuna i, miksajući na najnižoj brzini, žlicu po žlicu brašna.
Stavite smjesu u hladnjak dok pripremate tijesto.

Za tijesto, pomiješajte omekšali maslac sa šećerom i vanilijom (mikserom ili žlicom). Dodajte jaje, a zatim brašno prosijano s praškom za pecivom.
Obložite četvrtasti kalup (18x18 cm) papirom za pečenje.
Istresite tijesto i izravnajte ga žlicom.
Rasporedite borovnice preko tijesta.
Žlicom stavljajte hrpice smjese od ricotte preko borovnica.
Pecite kolač na 180°C oko 40 minuta.
Ostavite kolač da se ohladi, izrežite ga na kocke i pospite šećerom u prahu ili glazurom pripremljenom od šećera u prahu i soka od limuna.