Easter Ricotta Pie Food

RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• In a food processor combine the dry ingredients and pulse a few times.
• Add the cut-up butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse ground meal.
• Add the slightly beaten egg and pulse until the dough starts coming together.
• On a lightly floured wooden board, turn out the dough and form into a smooth disc, by pressing dough together.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (of a stand mixer) beat the ricotta on low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth (approx 30 seconds). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
• Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat for another 30 seconds or so.
• Add the lemon zest, cinnamon, liquor, and 1 egg.
• Beat until the egg is properly incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Continue to add one egg at a time, making sure to properly incorporate into the mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Set aside while you roll out your dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Place oven rack to bottom third.
• Roll out the dough to fit your pie plate (9-inch). The thickness should be about 1/8 of an inch. Carefully fold over and fit into your pie pan.
• Pour the filling.
• Optional step: Decorate with strips of dough and brush tops of dough strips with milk.
• Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the center filling is set. Place foil on the edge of crust to prevent over-browning.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Refrigerate until serving.

EASTER RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta with the sugar until very smooth.
• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.
• Stir in the candied fruit, orange zest and chocolate chips.
• Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.
• Place onto rimmed baking sheet for ease of pulling it out of the oven.
• Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and swirl it with the tip of a knife.
• Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until ricotta is set and toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool down and refrigerate.

RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF
• Add the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until well combined.
• Add in the butter and pulse 5-7 times, or until the butter is broken down into tiny pebbles.
• With the motor running, add in the eggs and let the dough process until it forms together into a cohesive ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface dusted with flour. Divide the dough in half.
• Roll out half of the dough to a rough 11″ circle and place inside of a 9″ deep-dish pie plate, tucking the ends of the pastry underneath themselves to form an edge. Pierce the bottom of the pastry multiple times with a fork to allow the steam to escape when baking. Place the pastry in the freezer to chill while the oven preheats, or at least 10 minutes.
• Roll out the other half of the dough to a rough 10-inch circle. Place the pie dough on a flat surface (such as a sheet pan) that can fit in your refrigerator. Cover, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
• Remove the bottom crust from the freezer and line the pastry with a round piece of parchment paper and then add pie weights to fill (or dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push pie weights up against the edges. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack, then remove from the oven and remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Add the (strained) ricotta to a large bowl. Whip it with a whisk for 30 seconds until lightened. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and almond extract and whisk together until well combined.
• Transfer the filling to the slightly cooled pie shell.
• Whisk together an egg with a bit of water to make an egg wash.
• Remove the rolled-out top crust from the refrigerator. Score the top crust with the fork in a lattice pattern by evenly pressing and dragging the fork on the pastry. You want to get a good score on it, but make sure not to cut through the pastry.
• Brush the egg wash on the top crust as well as on the edges of the baked bottom pie crust (this will help the top crust seal to the edges). Transfer the top crust pastry on top of the ricotta filling. Seal the top crust into the edges, and cut off any excess dough.
• Bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet in the middle part of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and shiny and the filling has just nearly puffed up throughout, leaving just a small portion in the middle that has not risen.
• Let cool for at last 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or cold.

RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• To make the pie crust: Into a bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shortening and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and toss to combine, adding more water, if necessary, to form a dough. Chill the dough, wrapped in plastic, until firm.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle 1/8-inch thick and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edge, prick the bottom, and chill while making the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta with the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon. Stir in the candied fruit and chocolate chips. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
• Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until just set. Let cool and chill.

RICOTTA PIE- EASTER PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat ricotta and eggs together.
• Add vanilla and sugar, mix well.
• Line a 13x9 inch pan with dough.
• Pour batter over.
• Cover with a lattice top with the remaining crust.
• Bake 350 degrees, check after 1 hour, 1 inch in from side with a knife, if clean it is done.
• If not check in increments of 5 minutes until the knife comes out clean.
• You may need a bigger pan, it depends on how runny the ricotta is.
• Let cool on a rack and then cut into 2 inch squares, it is very heavy, a little goes a long way.
• Refrigerate leftovers immediately.

RICOTTA PIE (OLD ITALIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Beat the 12 eggs, 2 cups sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese and the chocolate chips, if using (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1 cup sugar together. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 4 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Divide dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two deep-dish pie plates.
• Roll out 2 of the balls to fit into the pie pans. Do not make the crust too thick, as it will expand during cooking. Do not flute the edges of the dough. Roll out the other 2 balls of dough and cut each into 8 narrow strips for the top of the crust. (Alternately, you can use cookie cutters and place the cutouts on the top of the pies.)
• Pour the ricotta filling evenly into the pie crusts. Top each pie with 8 narrow strips of dough or cookie cut-outs. Brush top of pie with milk for shine, if desired. Place foil on the edge of crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes; remove foil. Rotate pies on the rack so they will bake evenly. Continue to bake until a knife inserted in the center of each pie comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool completely on wire racks. Refrigerate until serving.

ITALIAN RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• To make crust, mix flour and salt in medium bowl.
• Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
• Stir in egg yolk and water.
• Roll out, place crust in 10" glass pie plate and flute the edges.
• For filling, combine ricotta cheese, flour, salt, lemon and orange rinds and vanilla.
• Beat in eggs and add sugar gradually.
• Pour filling into crust and bake at 350° until firm and light brown (approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes).