Italian Sweet Ricotta Pie Reduced Sugar Food

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.

ITALIAN SWEET RICOTTA PIE (REDUCED SUGAR)

Steps:

• Blend eggs with Nature Sweet, beat in half & half, vanilla, and cornstarch until smooth. Add ricotta and blend well. Fold in pineapple and pour filling into pie crust. Dust with cinnamon.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 degrees and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling slightly puffs, turns golden and is set - meaning it should be firm, not jiggly when you gently move the pie plate from side to side - a little soft in the center is desired.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

CAMILLE'S CRUSTLESS RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together in a large bowl until smooth; add ricotta cheese and mix well. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

SWEET RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• To prepare the crust, in a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and sugar with your hands. Using a grater, grate the orange and lemon zests into the flour mixture. Reserve the fruit of the orange and lemon for the filling. Add the vanilla, eggs, and butter, kneading them into the mixture with your fingertips. This dough should have a smooth, even consistency, so if the mixture is still crumbly, add cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time until you can easily form the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To prepare the filling, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the ricotta until it has a smooth, even texture. Mix in the sugar on medium speed. Mixing on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time. After all of the eggs have been added, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix again on medium speed for about 20 seconds. Add the vanilla. Either squeezing firmly with your fingers or using a citrus squeezer, add the juices from the orange and lemon (if you are squeezing the juice out with your hands, be sure the pits don't get into the filling mixture). Mix the ingredients on medium speed until they are thoroughly combined.
• While assembling the pie, be aware that this dough is extremely delicate (see page 185), so be sure to sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin generously with flour. To prepare the pie shell, divide the chilled ball of dough in half. Roll out one half to a circle about 12 inches in diameter, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Fold the circle in half, place it in a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Because this dough is so delicate, coat your fingertips with flour before crimping the crust. Using your thumb and index fingers, crimp the edges of the pie shell.
• To assemble the pie, spread the filling across the bottom of the pie shell, distributing it evenly. Roll out the second half of the dough, again to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, cut the round into 3/4-inch strips. Place the strips over the top of the pie filling, lattice style, so that the edges of the strips meet the crimped edges of the pie shell. Ultimately, you want to create a checkerboard effect, with the lattice strips placed both vertically and horizontally across the pie.
• To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pie 180 degrees for even browning. Bake for approximately 20 more minutes, or until the pie is firm in the middle. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool completely before serving.
• Sweet Ricotta Pie should be served cold or at room temperature. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Working with Delicate Crust
• Because the dough for the sweet ricotta pie is so delicate, it may tear during the rolling process or while being placed in the pie pan. If this does happen, you can easily solve the problem by patching up any holes or tears with dough scraps moistened with a few drops of water applied to the holes, blending together with your fingertips.