Fried Dill Pickle Dip

 

For most people, the excitement around Super Bowl Sunday isn’t about the football game. It’s about excellent snacking opportunities. And obviously, everyone loves dips, but they especially shine on Super Bowl Sunday!

I guarantee you’ll see buffalo chicken dip, guacamole, and queso on Sunday, but let me introduce you to my favorite dip: fried dill pickle dip. It is the trifecta of tangy and creamy and crunchy. This dip has easy to find ingredients, and it comes together in about 15 minutes.

All about that base

A combination of sour cream and mayo is the best base! This makes the dip light enough to use with chips and lets the pickle flavor shine. A cream cheese-based dip is too thick and masks the pickle flavor.

Picky about the pickles

As someone who is VERY passionate about pickles, I have tried a lot of different ones. My two favorite pickles are the Kosher Dill Pickle Chips from Trader Joe’s and the dill pickle chips from Whole Foods. Grillo's Pickles and Claussen are also excellent, but they seem to be more expensive. Just make sure you grab your pickles out of the refrigerated section because those are usually the best quality pickles, and we need good quality pickles with a good brine for this recipe.

Dipadee-do-dah!

I recommend serving the dip with a sturdy chip so there's no breakage. Also, some crudités like carrots, cucumbers, and radishes would be great for dunking.

Fried Dill Pickle Dip

Yield: Makes 2.5 cups dip

Time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the crunchy topping

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup (68 grams) panko breadcrumbs

For the dip base 

• 8 ounces sour cream 
• 6 ounces mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (75 grams) dill pickles, small dice
• 1/4 cup (60 millilters) pickle brine
• 1 ounce ranch dressing mix
• 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the garnish

• Additional chopped dill, chives and pickles

Directions

For the crunchy topping

1. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Add panko and cook until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and pour into bowl. Set aside.

For the dip base

1. In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients of dip base.
2. Transfer to serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

For the garnish

1. Before serving, top dip with panko and additional chopped dill, chives, and pickles.

Vegan BBQ sandwiches

I’m hopping on the Veganuary train and sharing a tofu recipe for a great vegan pulled pork substitute! “Great” probably isn’t a word you would think to use to describe a “meat substitute.” But I’m telling you, the barbecue flavor is spot on, and the technique I use makes the texture nearly identical to the real thing.

I think a lot of people don’t use tofu because they don’t know how to prepare it (do I need to press it?) and they think it tastes funny. But actually tofu has a pretty neutral flavor that is masked by the barbecue seasoning and barbecue sauce. Also, the preparation is truly foolproof using the box grater method. What’s that you ask? All I do is take a piece of extra firm tofu and shred it on the large holes of a box grater. Once the moisture from the tofu cooks out, the tofu shreds very closely resemble the look and texture of pulled pork.

You can pile the barbecue tofu in a bun and eat it like a pulled pork sandwich with slaw on top. Or you can use it in a taco or burrito or over nachos. It’s very versatile.

Vegan BBQ sandwiches

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the tofu

• 1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 Tablespoon barbecue rub (or 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
• 450 grams extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

For the slaw

• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the tofu

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix tamari, olive oil, and seasonings in large bowl. Set aside.
3. Pat tofu dry. Grate tofu on large holes of box grater over bowl with seasonings.
4. Gently stir to evenly coat tofu.
5. Spread shreds evenly over baking pan. Bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
6. Remove pan from oven and move tofu to medium bowl.
7. Pour barbecue sauce over shreds and gently stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce.

For the slaw

1. In large bowl, mix lime juice, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
2. Add red cabbage and cilantro to bowl and stir to evenly coat.
3. Prepare sandwiches by dividing BBQ tofu between four bottom buns. Evenly divide slaw over tofu and top with bun.

Recipe adapted from Up Beet Kitchen

Eggnog Ice Cream Floats

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Eggnog is the quintessential holiday drink. It’s thick and creamy with warm spices. But it can be really divisive! I think store-bought eggnog gives the drink a bad rap. You haven’t really had eggnog until you’ve had homemade eggnog. Good eggnog tastes like a frothy drinkable custard. But there are some important things you need to know in order to make the perfect batch.

1. Use the freshest eggs possible. Eggs are obviously the key ingredient in eggnog, so it's important to use the best quality eggs you can find for richer flavor. Pasteurized eggs will minimize the risk of foodborne illness.

2. A combination of whole milk and heavy cream is essential for making creamy eggnog. Low-fat and skim milk will produce eggnog that is watery and less flavorful.

3. Freshly grate nutmeg for the best flavor. You can use a microplane or the smallest holes of a cheese grater. Ground nutmeg has a short shelf life before it loses potency, but whole nutmeg can last several years. And there's no telling how long the ground nutmeg has been in the jar before you pick it up from the store. 

4. Chill the eggnog at least a few hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and the drink to thicken.

My eggnog recipe involves tempering the eggs. This means I slowly raise the temperature of the eggs until they reach a safe temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It's important to slowly raise the temperature so the eggs don't scramble. There are a couple of ways to do this. I think the easiest way is to use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. High-speed blenders use friction to cook the eggs. It's important to blend at the highest speed for four minutes initially. Watch your timer very closely because if the eggs are in the blender too long, they will scramble in the heat.

This eggnog recipe is delicious on its own, but it’s even better with ice cream and a little club soda as a float! I like to pair it with Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream and combine my two favorite holiday flavors into one indulgent dessert. My family has tested a lot of different peppermint ice creams, and Hudsonville’s is by far our favorite. The mint flavor tastes very natural, and it has the perfect amount of peppermint stick crunch. I also love that it's made in the Midwest with fresh milk and cream. I have no doubt this combination will change the way you drink eggnog forever!

Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream is available at Indianapolis-area Meijer stores. You can use this Scoop Locator tool to find it at a store near you.

Eggnog Ice Cream Floats

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the eggnog

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) whole milk
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon (15 milliliters) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup brandy, rum, bourbon, or whiskey

For the float

• 6 scoops Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream
• 2 cups club soda
• Optional: Whipped cream

Directions

For the eggnog

1. Add egg yolks and sugar to a high-powered blender and blend for exactly 4 minutes at the highest speed. A thermometer should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into mixture. If it doesn't, blend another 30 seconds at the highest speed.
2. Pour in milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, nutmeg, salt and optional alcohol and blend on low speed until combined, about 15 seconds. 
3. Pour eggnog into pitcher or mason jar and refrigerate several hours.

For the float

1. Once eggnog is chilled, divide drink evenly between 6 glasses (about 2/3 cup per glass).
2. Add 1 large scoop of Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream to each glass.
3. Top off each glass with 1/3 cup cub soda and whipped cream if desired. Serve immediately with a straw and/or spoon.

Triple Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

Cheesecake isn't a complicated dessert, but sometimes it's just a little more effort than I care to make.

No-bake cheesecake has entered the chat.

So what's the difference between standard cheesecake and no-bake cheesecake? 

Regular cheesecake is firm and can be quite dense. It's a custard that uses eggs to help set it when it's baked in the oven. No-bake cheesecake is more of a mousse with a lighter, almost whipped texture. There are no eggs, so it uses other means to help set it, like gelatin or whipped cream.

Another bonus: Because we're not baking the cheesecake, it's pretty much foolproof. We don't have to worry about a water bath or over-baking it or under-baking it or it cracking in the middle.

This particular cheesecake recipe is for ultimate chocolate fans. It starts with a chocolate Oreo crust; the filling includes both black cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate; and I top it all off with a dark chocolate ganache.

Let's talk about the crust...

There are two ingredients: regular Oreos and butter. The Oreo filling plus the butter allow for the crust to stick together without baking. If you use cookies without cream filling, you will have to increase the amount of butter in the recipe. The texture should be comparable to wet sand and stick together in your hands. I use Challenge Unsalted Butter in my crust recipe. Using high-quality butter, like Challenge, has a big impact on the crust flavor. 

Now for the filling...

The first thing we want to do is make the cream cheese ultra smooth. The best way to do this is to beat it with granulated sugar. The granules in the sugar break down the cream cheese. 

Then we add the next three ingredients: sour cream, back cocoa powder, and vanilla bean paste. Sour cream contributes to tanginess; black cocoa powder adds extra depth to the chocolate flavor, but you can omit or substitute with Dutch-processed cocoa powder; and vanilla extract balances the flavors.

The dark chocolate is next. You want to heat it in short increments to prevent it from burning. If it's really hot, let it cool off for a few minutes before adding it to the filling. Don't let it cool to room temperature though because then it may harden once it's mixed with the other ingredients.

The last ingredient is heavy cream. Some recipes will advise you to whip the heavy cream first and then fold it into the filling, but in my experience, that isn't necessary. Save yourself from cleaning an extra bowl and add it straight to the mixer.

Last is the topping...

I went all in on chocolate and topped the cheesecake with a chocolate ganache. The recipe is as simple as chopping chocolate, pouring heated cream over the chocolate, letting the mixture sit for 5 minutes, and stirring it.

The hardest part of the recipe...

Waiting for the cheesecake to set up is without a doubt the hardest part of the recipe! It would probably be ready to slice into after four hours, but I prefer to wait six hours to be extra sure.

When you cut into it, I recommend running your knife under hot water and wiping the knife clean after every cut to ensure clean slices.

Triple Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake

Yield: About 12 servings (9-inch cheesecake)

Prep time: About 30 minutes

Chill time: At least 4 hours

Ingredients

For the crust

• 14 ounces Oreo original chocolate sandwich cookies
• 8 Tablespoons Challenge Unsalted Butter 

For the cheesecake filling

• 24 ounces (681 grams) cream cheese, full fat
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream, full fat
• 2 Tablespoons (10 grams) black cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 10 ounces (300 grams) dark chocolate, chopped (preferably around 60% cacao)
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream

For the ganache topping

• 4 ounces (114 grams) dark chocolate, chopped (preferably around 60% cacao)
• 4 ounces (120 milliliters) heavy cream

Directions

For the crust

1. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Add Oreos to food processor and pulse until cookies are fine crumbs.
3. Melt butter in microwave and add to food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.
4. Press crust mixture evenly into bottom and 1 inch up sides of springform pan.
5. Use bottom of cup to smooth and pack down crust into even layer.
6. Place crust in freezer while preparing filling.

For the cheesecake filling

1. In large bowl with mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add sour cream, black cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Beat another 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth. Set aside.
3. Add chocolate to heatproof bowl and microwave 1 minute. Stir chocolate and return to microwave for 30 seconds. Stir again. If chocolate is mostly melted, set aside for several minutes to cool. If not, repeat process until chocolate is smooth.
4. Pour chocolate into mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until filling is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add heavy cream to bowl and beat on low speed until filling is well mixed, about 1 minute.
6. Pour filling into crust and smooth into even layer.
7. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

For tha ganache

1. Place chocolate in heatproof bowl.
2. Heat cream in microwave in 30-second intervals until it starts to steam and you see a few bubbles around the edge.
3. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit 5-10 minutes. 
4. Stir cream and chocolate together until smooth.
5. Starting in center, pour ganache over cheesecake and use spatula to carefully spread ganache over cheesecake.
6. Place cheesecake back in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to allow ganache to set.
7. When ready to serve, run knife under really hot water and dry before slicing. Repeat the process with every slice.
8. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Confetti Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Summer is all about making memories with the people who matter most. In my family, those happy moments usually involve ice cream. Ice cream is undeniably delicious on its own, but I wanted to create a recipe that was easily shareable and combined some of my favorite flavors from childhood.

This recipe for confetti cookie dough ice cream sandwiches consists of two layers of edible cookie dough sandwiching a layer of creamy Hudsonville ice cream. The edible dough comes together quickly, and I especially love how easy it is to cut and bite into straight out of the freezer. Also, there’s no baking involved, which means you don’t have to heat your house in the middle of summer.

Regular cookie dough isn’t safe to consume raw because it contains uncooked flour and eggs. Both have the potential to cause food poisoning and bacterial infections like salmonella. I did two things to ensure the cookie dough is safe to eat raw: I omitted the eggs, and I heat-treated the flour. The easiest way to heat treat flour is to put it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 30-second intervals until the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This should take about one to one and a half minutes.

Sprinkles are an important part of the cookie dough—they’re both visually appealing and add great crunch. But not all sprinkles are created equally. The best sprinkles to use are confetti sprinkles. “Jimmy” style sprinkles bleed colors, and I find them to be a little mushy.

Now, let’s talk about the best part of this recipe—the ice cream! When making ice cream desserts, it’s very important to use a high-quality brand because the consistency holds its shape better. That’s why I only use Hudsonville. Hudsonville is a family-owned Midwest company. They make their ice cream with fresh milk and cream from local farms to ensure the ice cream is as creamy as possible.

Both the Superscoop ice cream and the Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream work very well in this ice cream sandwich recipe. Superscoop is made with thick, creamy swirls of Black Cherry, Blue Moon and Vanilla, which makes the colorful confetti cookie dough layers even more fun. And I knew Strawberry Cheesecake's tangy ice cream with tart strawberry swirls would complement the sweet confetti cookie dough perfectly.

The process for making the ice cream sandwiches involves two freezings. The first freezing occurs right after you make the cookie dough. In order to evenly spread the ice cream on the dough, it must be frozen. I divide the cookie dough into two equal parts, press it into two even layers in an 8x8-inch pan lined with parchment paper, and freeze it until firm, or about one hour.

Then I spread the ice cream on one layer of frozen cookie dough before finishing it off with the top layer of dough and returning it to the freezer. I like to allow for at least 4-6 hours of freezing time before cutting and eating the ice cream sandwiches.

One of the best parts about this dessert is how much fun it is to share with others. No matter what your summer plans entail, you'll surely create sweet moments and memories sharing Hudsonville ice cream with family and friends.

Use this Scoop Locator tool to find Superscoop ice cream and Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream near you. You can find them at Walmart, Meijer, and Fresh Thyme stores in the Indianapolis area.

Confetti Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

Yield: Makes about 9 ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk (cow milk or nondairy milk)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 Tablespoons confetti sprinkles
• 1 1/2 pints (24 ounces) Hudsonville Superscoop or Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream

Directions

1. Place flour in microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 30-second intervals until temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This should take about 90 seconds. Set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Stir in milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
3. Slowly stir in flour and mix until smooth. Fold in confetti sprinkles.
4. Line 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press half the dough into even layer on parchment paper.
5. Top dough with second layer of parchment paper and press remaining dough into even layer.
6. Move baking pan to freezer. Freeze dough for at least 1 hour.
7. Remove pan from freezer and separate layers of cookie dough. Reuse parchment paper to line pan and return one layer of cookie dough to pan.
8. Spread Hudsonville ice cream over cookie dough and place remaining frozen dough layer on top of ice cream.
9. Cover top of cookie dough with parchment paper and return pan to freezer. Freeze for at least 4-6 hours, but preferably overnight.
10. When ready to serve, remove pan from freezer, run knife under hot water, wipe dry, and cut into equal squares. 

Raspberry Sweet Corn Cobbler Cake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

The plethora of produce may be my favorite part of summer, and I'm a big proponent of celebrating that produce in the form of desserts. My father-in-law's raspberry plants, which fruit twice a year and provide us with bowls and bowls of raspberries, inspired the dessert recipe I'm sharing today. You can substitute other berry varieties, if you wish.

Also, I love using corn in desserts as much as possible. I don't think enough people capitalize on its sweet capabilities. So instead of using milk in the dessert batter, I used corn juice. Yes, you read that correctly—corn juice!  The milky, starchy juice from the kernels adds an incredible amount of flavor.

I collect the corn juice by grating ears of fresh sweet corn on a box grater. I usually get about 1/3 cup juice with pulp per ear of corn. The amount you get depends on how fresh and in season the corn is. I use the pulp along with the juice in this recipe. There's no need to strain it. Also, I think it provides good texture.

One last thing--I developed this recipe last week in the middle of a heat wave when our air conditioner was struggling to keep the inside of our 200-year-old house cool. So I baked this recipe on the grill. Baking on the grill isn't much different than baking in the oven. Preheat your grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place your cast-iron skillet over an area of the grill without direct heat. If you've never baked on your grill, you'll want to check it periodically to make sure the temperature remains consistent.

Side note: The first step of this recipe is to melt a stick of butter in the pan. I use Challenge unsalted butter because it's all-natural, made with real milk, and melts evenly.

Raspberry Sweet Corn Cobbler Cake

Yield: Makes about 6 - 8 servings

Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the raspberries

• 16 ounces fresh raspberries (or frozen raspberries, thawed and drained)
• 1 Tablespoon sugar (13 grams)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (132 grams)
• 1/4 cup medium or coarse-ground yellow cornmeal (38 grams)
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) corn juice from about 3 ears corn 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Challenge unsalted butter

Directions

For the raspberries

1. In medium bowl, combine raspberries with sugar and lemon zest. Set aside.

For the batter

1. Preheat grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl
3. Use box grater to grate corn over bowl to collect milky juices and pulp; discard corn cobs. Measure out 3/4 cup juice and pour into flour mixture. 
4. Mix just until dry ingredients are moist.
5. Place 10-inch cast-iron skillet on grill. Add butter to skillet and allow to melt.
6. Remove skillet from heat and scrape in batter. Spread into even layer as much as possible. Butter will pool at sides.
7. Spoon raspberries with juices over batter.
8. Bake over indirect heat in covered grill until cake is golden, about 30-40 minutes.
9. Allow cobbler cake to cool for about 15 minutes before serving with ice cream.
10. Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Grilled doughnut strawberry shortcakes

 

I made grilled doughnut strawberry shortcakes for National Doughnut Day! This dessert contains three components, all of which (except the grilling) can be done in advance. My goal with this strawberry shortcake recipe was to make it as easy as possible with minimal last-minute prep work so you have more time with friends and family in the backyard at the grill. 

Let's discuss a few questions you may have before getting to the recipe.

What does it mean to hull strawberries? 

It means to remove the green leafy top plus a little bit of the flavorless white core.

What does it mean to macerate the strawberries?

When we macerate strawberries, we sprinkle a little sugar on the strawberries around 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours) before serving. We do this because the hygroscopic properties in sugar draw out the juice from the berries creating a delicious syrupy mixture that’s perfect for shortcakes.

Why use ricotta filling instead of whipped cream?

Whipped cream would be just as delicious in this recipe. However, whipped cream must be made right before serving. And my goal is to make this strawberry shortcake recipe as easy as possible with minimal time in the kitchen right before serving and more time in the backyard at the grill. Ricotta doesn’t have the same buttery mouthfeel as whipped cream, but it’s still very creamy and refreshing.

Why and how would I grill doughnuts?

Grilled doughnuts become really soft and warm on the inside and a little crisp on the outside, plus the grilling helps to caramelize the sugars in the doughnuts, creating a more complex flavor. Also, it just looks really cool to serve a grilled doughnut to guests!

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Cut the doughnuts in half like a bagel, and place them on the grill for just about 1 minute on each side. You’ll need to watch closely so they don’t burn.

Assemble the shortcakes immediately and serve. If the grilled doughnuts sit too long, they become cold and hard.

Grilled doughnut strawberry shortcakes

Yield: 6 servings

Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the strawberries

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced about 1 centimeter thick
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

For the ricotta filling

• 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 orange, zested (optional)

For assembly

• 6 glazed donuts, cut in half horizontally

Directions

For the strawberries

1. Mix sliced strawberries with sugar in large bowl. Allow to macerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If planning to macerate longer than several hours, place strawberries in refrigerator.

For the ricotta filling

1. In food processor, process ricotta cheese, honey, and optional orange zest until smooth, about 20 seconds. Don't over whip ricotta because it will turn to liquid.
2. Transfer to bowl, cover, and store in refrigerator until ready to assemble. This can be made and stored in refrigerator up to 3 days in advance.

For assembly

1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Place doughnut halves on grill until lightly charred, about 30 second to 1 minute on each side. Remove doughnuts from grill.
2. To make shortcakes, dollop whipped ricotta onto bottom halves of each doughnut. Spoon strawberries over ricotta and place top half of each doughnut on top. Serve immediately.