Chocolate Ricotta Pudding

Mix together in a bowl until smooth

• 15 oz. ricotta cheese, pressed through a fine-mesh sieve
• 1 oz. square bittersweet chocolate, grated
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp almond extract

Raspberry Sauce

Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce thickens:

• 1/4 cup raspberry jam (seedless)
• 1/2 cup water with 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Assembly:

1. Spoon 2 – 3 Tbsp of sauce onto individual serving plates.
2. Place 1 slice of pound cake on sauce.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp of Amaretto over cake.
3. Top with large spoonful of pudding.
4. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate curls and/or almonds

Shortly after returning from the South Pacific I had a slice of Starbuck’s lime crumb cake with a tall double latte.  It was impressive, though the latte left much to be desired, with a genuine lime perfume when whiffed and lime flavor on the tongue.  I think this  marguerita pound cake with its heady lime perfume and glaze outshines even Starbuck’s cake.

Pound Cake

• 1-1/2 cups butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 large limes)
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract (Mexican if available)

Marguerita Glaze - makes 1 cup

• 2 shots tequila
• 2 shots triple-sec (or Cointreau, or Orange Curacao)
• 4 shots lime juice (or Roses of Lime)
• 4 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 325° F.  Grease and flour standard 9X5X3 loaf pan.  Mix flour with baking powder and set aside.  Cream sugar, butter, and eggs.  Beat in flour alternately with milk just until all is incorporated.  Whisk in lime juice and vanilla.  Pour into prepared pan, bake 90 minutes or until it tests done.  Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan, prick top and sides of cake with a wooden skewer.  To make glaze:  boil sugar, lime juice, tequila, and triple-sec in a small sauce pan for 1 minute to dissolve sugar and cook off alcohol.  Pour 1/2 of the glaze over the warm cake.  When glaze is cool, reheat remaining glaze just to pouring consistency and reglaze.  Cool completely before serving.  Serve with a sorbet and your favorite coffee drink.