This year marks the fifth time I have had the privilege of being a celebrity chef during the Federal Hill Columbus Day Festival. It was five years ago that I discovered the wonderful ricotta and mozzarella cheese made by the Galbani company. In preparation for my first appearance at La Cucina Galbani, I began experimenting with recipes. Being an over-achiever, I decided to make a small sample to give out, and of course, I demonstrated a pasta dish. For the first two years, I made ricotta egg biscuits. Then I switched gears and made ricotta mousse desserts. This year, it’s a completely new recipe, a savory treat. My niece Lori and I tried several versions of the first recipe I discovered in my recipe search. The first version was made without the flour mixture or whole eggs, and its texture was like a soufflé. We increased the amounts, added ingredients, and omitted salt and pepper until I was finally satisfied that I had a winner. This version has a fuller body, and the balsamic glaze adds depth to the flavor.
Pumpkin Ricotta Savory Bites
– 7 ounces of pumpkin puree
– 1 cup of Galbani® Ricotta Cheese
– 2 whole eggs
– 1 cup of egg whites
– 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar
– 1/3 cup of Parmesan Cheese
– 1/2 cup of Pancake Baking Mix
– 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
– 1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
– 1/2 cup of chopped scallions/chives
– 1 teaspoon of Balsamic Glaze
– 1/2 cup of mixed seeds, divided (sunflower, pepitas, sesame, black sesame, and poppy)
Directions:
1. Thoroughly whisk the baking mix with two eggs, then incorporate the pumpkin puree, Galbani® Ricotta Cheese, Parmesan cheese, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, 1/4 cup of mixed seeds, chopped scallions/chives, and balsamic glaze. Beat the mixture until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until achieving white and semi-firm peaks, which typically takes about 10 minutes.
3. Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the whipped egg whites until thoroughly combined.
4. Fill a greased mini muffin pan almost to the top with the mixture. Sprinkle each bite with mixed seeds.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. This recipe yields approximately 60 mini bites. Serve the bites cold or at room temperature.
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