Nicoles Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Food

SICILIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch springform pan, and tap out excess flour.
• Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl, and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly into the ricotta. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in the vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools. Cover, and chill till serving time.

SICILIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• A few hours before baking, place the whole milk ricotta cheese in a cheesecloth lined strainer over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the refrigerate to drain.
• Preheat your oven to 350"F.
• In the bowl of your mixer whisk together the eggs and sugar until nice and creamy. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time until nicely incorporated. Add the orange or lemon zest and scrape in the vanilla seeds. Add the baking powder and coconut flour and using a spatula mix to combine. Fold in the ricotta cheese.
• Butter a 9 inch spring form cake pan and sprinkle it all over with some of the sugar to lightly coat the bottom and the sides. Spoon the cake mixture in the pan and set the pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown around the sides and pulls away slightly from the sides. Your house should smell amazing by now, and that's a good indicator the cake is ready. Allow the cake to cool off completely before unfolding the spring-form pan.
• Set on a serving platter and sprinkle with powder sugar or make a light glaze to drizzle on top.

ITALIAN (RICOTTA) CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Butter bottom and sides of a 12-inch springform pan.
• Sprinkle bottom and sides of well buttered pan with Graham cracker crumbs.
• In a large bowl, beat drained ricotta until very smooth.
• Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and egg yolks, beating after each addition.
• Beat in flour, lemon rind, and vanilla.
• In a small bowl, beat cream until cream holds its shape, but is not too stiff.
• In a smaller bowl, beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff; combine with whipped cream and fold into ricotta mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake 1 hour.
• Turn off heat and allow cake to cool in oven with door closed (about 3-4 hours).
• Remove cooled cake from oven, carefully remove sides of pan, store cake (well wrapped) in refrigerator.
• Before serving, lightly sprinkle top of cake with Confectioner's (powdered, 10X) sugar.
• Cake may be served chilled or at room temperature.
• Note: Center of cheese cake will be lower than the sides when it is cooled.
• This is not a defect!
• It is supposed to be this way (makes it easier to hold the topping if you choose to use one).
• VARIATIONS: Add raisins, chopped citron or chopped maraschino cherries to the batter.
• Top cheese cake with crushed sugared strawberries or cherries before serving.
• Cover bottom of crumbed pan with drained, sweetened crushed pineapple, applesauce or sliced apples before adding batter to pan.
• Pie crust pastry may be used instead of Graham crumbs to line pan.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Coat two 9-inch pie pans with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, zest, and alcohol if using. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until firm. Let cool, then refrigerate until cold.

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter 9" springform pan.
• Melt butter, cool.
• Sift flour and cornstarch together, reserve.
• Place cream cheese and ricotta in mixer, beat until smooth and creamy.
• Add sugar in 3 additions over 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary.
• Beat 30 seconds longer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, at 30 second intervals.
• Mix well after each addition.
• Blend in flour, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla.
• Add butter and sour cream.
• Beat for 30 seconds, scrape bowl and beat 10 seconds longer.
• Wrap springform in two layers of aluminum foil, pour batter into pan, put springform in a larger pan such as a roasting pan and add hot water to larger pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the springform.
• Bake until center still jiggles slightly, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven, remove foil, cool completely on rack and refrigerate overnight.
• To remove springform, heat sides with propane torch and remove sides.
• Turn cake upside down in the palm of one hand, heat bottom with torch and remove bottom of springform.
• Place plate on bottom and flip right side up.
• Cut cake with unwaxed dental floss.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Blend together ricotta and cream cheese, and add sugar.
• Beat in eggs , one at a time.
• Add lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, flour, and butter and mix well.
• Fold in sour cream.
• Pour into BUTTERED 10 inch springform pan.
• Put cake in cold oven (Do not preheat).
• Heat oven @ 325 degrees and bake for 1 hour.
• Turn oven off and leave cake in there for 2 hours. DO NOT open the oven door during this time while its cooling.
• Remove cake and finish cooling.
• Wrap and refrigerate. Cake is best the next day.