Grandma’s Italian Easter Ricotta Pie

This is my grandmother’s Easter ricotta pie recipe, with just a few changes.

She added the orange zest to the ricotta filling, but here, I’ve added it to the crust {purely, for aesthetic purposes}.

I also omitted the candied fruit, to appease some finicky palates at my house.

If you’d like to make it with the fruit, add a 1/4 cup {chopped} mixed candied fruit to the filling with the chocolate chips.

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• zest of 1 {organic} orange
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• {plus, one additional egg for brushing the top of the pie}

Filling:

• 1 pound ricotta cheese {part skim, or whole milk}
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Special Equipment: a 9″ springform pan, or deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom.

Video recipe:

METHOD:

1. Place the ricotta cheese in a colander, set over a bowl.
2. Cover with plastic wrap & leave in the refrigerator to drain overnight.

To make the crust:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder & salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter & sugar together, in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, until light & fluffy {about 4 minutes}.
3. Add the orange zest & beat for an additional minute.
4. Add the egg yolks, then the whole eggs, beating after each addition & scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients & beat until just combined.
6. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured work surface & shape the dough into a ball.
7. Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly bigger than the other.
8. Shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap & chill for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling:

1. Transfer the drained ricotta to a mixing bowl. Add the sugar & ground cinnamon; stir to combine.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly.
3. Add them to the ricotta mixture & stir. Fold in the chocolate chips.

To assemble:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Take the larger of the two discs of dough & roll it out, on a well-floured work surface, into an 1/8″ thick round; carefully fit it into the springform pan.
2. Cut away any overhang, fold over the edges & press neatly against the rim of the pan. Pour in the filling.
3. Roll the second disc of dough out into another 1/8″ thick round.
4. Using a knife, or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 1/2″ thick strips.
5. Arrange the strips over the top of the pie in a lattice pattern; brush the crust with a beaten egg.
6. Bake for about one hour, or until the crust is golden brown & the filling is set.
7. Let cool for 15 minutes, remove from the pan & transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note:

Once cool, the pie can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. I like to serve this pie slightly chilled, by removing it from the refrigerator about a half hour before serving.

Source: http://www.theparsleythief.com/2011/04/easter-ricotta-pie.html?m=1