Ciao Chow Linda

Easter Ricotta Pie

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

Ingredients

• Two of your favorite homemade or store-purchased pie crusts (one for bottom and one for the lattice top)

• 4 cups drained full-fat ricotta cheese

• (I started out with 3 pounds of ricotta from the supermarket and there were more than 4 cups when it was all drained.)

• 6 eggs

• 3/4 cup sugar

• juice of one orange (a little less than 1/4 cup)

• grated rind of two oranges

• grated rind of one lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)

Instructions

1. Drain the ricotta cheese overnight in the refrigerator.

2. To do this, I place a paper towel in a sieve, put the ricotta cheese in the sieve, then cover with a piece of plastic wrap and finally, a heavy weight.

3. Roll out the pie crust and place it in a deep-dish pie pan.

4. Prick the crust with a fork.

5. Place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes while you roll the lattice.

6. Roll out the other pie crust on a cutting board or something that will fit in the freezer.

7. Cut nine lattice strips and place the whole thing, cutting board and all, in the freezer.

8. Make sure you can keep it flat.

9. This technique of putting the strips in the freezer for a few minutes will help keep when the lattice strips from breaking apart when weaving them on the top after you have placed the filling inside.

10. Beat the eggs gently (but don’t beat too heavily or the pie will rise too much, and then deflate too much.)

11. Mix the eggs with the ricotta and the rest of the ingredients.

12. Place the filling in the pie shell.

13. Place the lattice work on top, weaving over and under till you get the desired effect.

14. Swipe the lattice with either some beaten egg, milk or cream.

15. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven forr one hour.

16. When cooled and ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with grated orange peel.