Nicoles Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Food

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.

JESSE'S ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Do not preheat the oven.
• Butter the sides and bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan.
• Blend the cheeses.
• Add sugar to the cheese mixture and mix well.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Add the vanilla, lemon juice corn starch, and butter and blend well.
• Fold-in the sour cream.
• Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan.
• Place the pan in a cold oven and cook at 325° for one hour.
• Do not open the door during cooking. Once the cooking time is up, turn off the oven and let the cheese cake cool in the oven for at least two hours.
• Use your favorite topping. I like fresh strawberries or canned light cherry pie filling.

ITALIAN RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crust-sprinkle bottom of greased 9-inch springform pan evenly with ground pecans; set aside.
• Filling-In a large mixer bowl, beat ricotta cheese and sugar on med-high speed for 3 minutes.
• Add flour and mix for about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add almond extract.
• Pour batter over crust.
• Bake in a preheated 325° oven for 55-65 minutes or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it.
• Cool on a rack for 2 hours.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating.
• Topping: after cake has chilled, dust top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

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.

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.

NO CRUST RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• Place the ricotta cheese in a strainer set over a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to drain off excess moisture.
• Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until the whites just hold stiff peaks. Do not overwhip. The whites should look smooth, not grainy.
• Combine the egg yolks and granulated sugar in another large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta, vanilla, lemon zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg until just combined. Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture with a rubber spatula. Place the prepared springform pan on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
• Bake the cheesecake until it is deep golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, run a sharp paring knife around the edge of the pan to separate the cheesecake from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cheesecake cool completely. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until serving, at least 6 hour and up to 1 day.
• Before serving, remove the sides of the pan and dust with confectioners' sugar. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
• Mom's Big Book of Baking.