TWD - The one that almost wasn't: Ricotta Polenta Cake

I almost opted out of this week's Tuesday with Dorie assignment: a Fluted Polenta Ricotta Cake chosen by Caitlin the Engineer Baker.

It was nothing personal; it's just been a butter/flour/sugar heavy month. I'd just foisted the last of my Keller Cake onto a very willing group of house guests over the weekend. I still have a handful of marshmallows bouncing around the island. And Sunday's cheesecake pops were over the top indulgent.

I made a personal pact: this was going to be a week of fruit for dessert. Apples. Bananas. CSA fresh strawberries.

And then Tuesday came, and I opened my feed reader. And 100-some Doristas were more temptation than my resolve could withstand. I hadn't gotten to "D" and I started making a shopping list, knowing I had a date with the Kitchen Aid when I got home. Hey... fig's a fruit! And polenta's kind of a grain.

I decided to go small and pulled out my mini tart pans. I chopped the requisite 12 kadota figs and set them in a combination of chardonnay and warm water for a soak. And Inspired by Cheri at Adventures in the Kitchen, I chopped up a handful of organic rosemary from my CSA and tossed it with the dry ingredients.

The result? Probably not as healthy as an apple, but not devoid of nutritional value, and quite tasty. The ricotta added tang, the honey lends a fruity note, the polenta and figs contribute to a complex texture, and the rosemary brings it all together and gives it a real Mediterranean flair. Most excellent topped with a dollop of honey flavored Greek style yogurt.

From the archives...
In 2007 I failed at crepe cake 101.

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