If you know me, you KNOW this: I was 100% going to send something in. But what? Food for an Ides of March party? And it's not like I could just send in Italian food and call it a day. This is ancient Rome we're talking about. So I did some research.
Turns out, finding food of that era (also suitable for a classroom) wasn't easy. Honeyed wine was out, as was peacock, rabbit and fish sausage. That's a shame because I have a freezer full of peacock. Not true PETA. Oh, and all nuts were out - not because of the Romans, just allergies.
Long story short - I found a simple recipe that featured one of ancient Rome's most beloved ingredients - honey. Meet Libum, sweet cheesecakes baked on top of bay leaves, and under clay pots. The dough is simple (more like bread than cheesecake) and the bay leaves add amazing flavor just by being there, they're not incorporated into the cakes at all. In fact, the leaves need to make their exit before you take that first bite (they're edible, but a choking hazard). If only Caesar took that exit cue...
Once I decided on the dessert, I wanted a bit of a backstory. From PBS/Nova: Libum was a sacrificial cake sometimes offered to household spirits during Rome's early history.
Although it's called cheesecake, when you consider the ingredients and the instructions, Libum is basically unleavened bread made with ricotta cheese. In ancient Rome, bigger pieces were served with full meals and smaller "cheeseballs" were used as offerings to the household gods.
So here's my offering to that classroom of gods - those little angels. While my recipe is pretty traditional in "modern" terms, I took a little culinary license. I added honey to the dough, and then I dunked the finished cakes in warm honey TWO TIMES. More honey is better, right?
Oh, and about the bay leaves: Traditional Libum recipes call for fresh bay leaves, which (in my opinion) can be hard to find. So, I used dried bay leaves. But, the dried leaves can be fragile and pretty pungent (plus they would burn in the oven). So, I mellowed them out (and softened them slightly) by soaking them in warm milk before using. Soaking/steeping also makes it easier to halve them without the leaves crumbling. Oh, and I halved the leaves because the recipe makes 30 small cheesecakes and each one has just a hint of bay. You'll be amazed how much flavor comes through; a whole leaf would overpower the dough.
Why cover the cheesecakes while they bake? So they steam AND bake at the same time. Notice how short the ingredient list is? That's because Libum recipes use ingredients and technique to get the cheesecake buns moist, tender and golden brown at the same time. The Romans often covered their food with a testo, or domed clay cover. You can use an overturned shallow clay pot, casserole dish or roasting pan. I used a 9x13-inch roasting pan (see the note below about the parchment paper).
Draw on that parchment paper! To ensure that you don't crush the cheesecakes when you cover them, trace the bottom of your roasting pan on the parchment paper before putting the bay leaves and dough balls on top. Stay within the lines and no crushed cheesecakes!
Sweet Cheesecake Balls (Libum)
1/2 cup milk
15 dried bay leaves
15 ounces ricotta cheese (I used whole milk, but I'm sure the skim milk variety would work too)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (see note above).
In a small saucepan, combine the milk and bay leaves. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs and 2 tablespoons of the honey. Mix until well blended. Sift in the flour. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.
Remove the bay leaves from the milk and cut in half, making 30 pieces. Arrange the pieces on the prepared pans, about 2 inches apart. Using a small cookie-size scoop or spoon, place dough "balls" on top of each leaf.
Cover the cakes with an overturned roasting pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are just starting to turn brown.
Heat the honey in a small bowl until hot (about 10 seconds in the microwave). While the cheesecakes are still warm, dip them in the honey and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat the process so each cake is dunked twice. Serve warm or warm temperature and REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES BEFORE EATING (seriously, they can be a choking hazard).
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