Sweet Ricotta Cheese Pie 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.

RICOTTA PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Zest the lemon and divide the zested lemon equally for crust and filling. Put aside the filling half for later.
• Beat together half the zest, 1 egg plus 1 yolk. set aside.
• Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk, or simply dump into a food processor.
• Add egg mixture, mix together or just add if using processor.
• Add the cold butter. mash with a fork, or chop together with butter knives or mezzaluna. If using food processor, pulse a few times until well combined.The mixture will seem dry and mealy. That is correct.
• Dump the crust mixture unto a marble pastry board or lightly floured surface and knead until you can comfortable make a ball. It will seem very crumbly at first, have patience. If you absolutely have to add a teaspoon of lemon juice to moisten dough.
• Wrap up the dough ball with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until you have a circle larger than your pie pan by at least a couple inches on each side.
• Roll the crust gently into the rolling pin to help transfer it to the pie pan. Tuck to into the pan and trim off excess dough. If you have any tears in the crust simply fill them in and smooth out. The dough is forgiving.
• Prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork every inch or so. If you have pie weights spread them over bottom of crust.
• Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes. It will be cooked through, but not starting to brown.
• While baking the crust, start making the crust. Begin by whisking together the eggs and extra white in a large bowl.
• Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth enough to finish mixing with a whisk.I do not recommend using an appliance for this step. It is best done by hand, so as to not break down the ricotta too much.
• Pour the filling batter into the crust.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes. It is done when roughly halfway to the center is set, but middle is still jiggly.
• After baking allow the pie to cool fully before serving. Place in refrigerator once fully cooled.

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 CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Place the cheese in a strainer; drain for about 1 hour or until most of liquid has drained.
• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Combine all the ingredients except the egg whites; mix well.
• Beat the egg whites until firm, fold into batter until smooth.
• Pour into pie crusts.
• Bake 15 minutes and reduce oven to 350°; bake additional 25 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean.
• Cool on racks, then chill.
• The flavors improve a day after baking.

SWEET RICOTTA CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon orange peel, salt, and baking powder in food processor. Add butter and blend until coarse meal forms. Add 2 eggs and blend until moist clumps form. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead to combine well, about 1 minute. Divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger. Wrap and chill smaller piece. Press larger piece over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
• Using electric mixer, beat ricotta cheese, cream cheese, cornstarch, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel, and 2 eggs. Transfer filling to dough-lined tart pan. Roll out chilled dough piece to 10-inch round. Place round over tart; trim excess dough. Press edges of tart to seal. Cut 4 slits in top of tart. Bake tart until golden and puffed, about 1 hour. Cool completely.

CREAMY RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, shortening, 2 eggs, baking powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl until dough comes together.
• Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish, reserving about 1 tablespoon of dough for topping.
• Beat ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth; pour cheese filling into prepared pie dish.
• Divide reserved dough into 3 balls. Flatten balls and arrange atop pie filling.
• Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of sugar over pie, if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown and filling begins to firm, about 75 minutes.
• Chill pie in refrigerator until fully firm, about 3 hours.

RICOTTA CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Flute the pie crust edge, and bake the shell; cool completely.
• In a small saucepan, place the COLD milk or half and half cream (if using); sprinkle the gelatin over the half and half, let stand for 1 minute to soften the gelatin slightly.
• Over medium heat, heat the cream/gelatin mixture until the gelatin dissolves, stirring constantly; set aside to cool slightly.
• In another saucepan over low heat, heat the chocolate pieces until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally; keep warm.
• In a small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 1-1/2 cups whipping cream until soft peaks form; set aside.
• In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat the ricotta cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream, until well blended.
• Gradually beat in the gelatin mixture; increase the speed to medium, beat until creamy.
• Reserve 1 cup of the whipped cream for topping.
• Fold in the remaining whipped cream into the ricotta mixture.
• Drizzle about one-fourth of the melted chocolate over the bottom of the pre-baked pie shell.
• Top with one-third of the ricotta cheese mixture.
• Layer the chocolate and the cheese mixture 2 more times.
• Spread reserved whipped cream over the top of the pie.
• Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the whipped cream in a decorative pattern.
• Chill the pie for 3-4 hours before serving.

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.