My husband mistakenly bought ricotta instead of mascarpone... And although I love it very much, especially for breakfast, with honey or jam, I decided to bake a pie. I found the recipe in Ella Martino’s book “Culinary Secrets of an Italian Mother.” True, there was a twist, and instead of cherries I used nectarines and plums... Tasty... very... it turned out to be such a homemade, cozy pie for a family tea party.
I am sending a recipe for FMs spied on by Lenochka:
Lilya for the flash mob competition "I'm Waiting for Guests" and Ole for "Summer Pies".
Ingredients for a large pie (I made half a portion):
500 g ricotta,
- 120 g flour,
- 120 g sugar,
- 100 g softened butter,
- 1 tsp baking powder,
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar,
- 4 eggs,
- 3-4 nectarines, 2 plums,
- 1 packet of jelly for filling the pie.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Grease the pan with butter and lightly sprinkle with flour, pouring out the excess. Mix flour with baking powder. Beat butter with sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add ricotta and flour. Mix carefully with a spatula. Distribute the dough into the mold. Bake for about 40 minutes. Determine readiness using a wooden skewer. Cool. Cut nectarines and plums into thin slices and fan out on top of the pie. Prepare the jelly as directed on the package and pour over the top of the pie. Let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
I baked this cake for a very, very long time. This is evidenced by the “old style” copyright on the bottom of the photo. But, while going through a huge folder in the “Unreleased...” style, I came across it and decided that now is a great time for it... Why? Read below.
First of all, spring - It's time to defragment your freezer for any remnants of last year's seasonal supplies (I have a whole separate freezer for this, because for a pastry chef there is no better fruit prepared in season). I still have quite a lot of things there, and especially my favorite peaches. But any other not too juicy fruit is suitable for this pie.
Secondly, I am now in a special, even intimate, relationship with cheese products , and if at the time of preparing this pie, mascarpone and ricotta were not very distinguishable types of cheese for me, with attempts to make this from milk, cream and lemon juice in the “cook-it-in-half-an-hour-can’t-distinguish-from-the-real” style, but now the intimacy of this relationship does not allow even thinking about this. Because now I really understand the difference between cheeses, and making them for real is an incredible thrill. However, both ricotta and mascarpone are suitable for this recipe - you will get a slightly different effect, but it will be delicious, no matter which way you go. Moreover, you can make this pie from homemade very fat cottage cheese (this is exactly what I always use for my cheesecake) - here’s another recipe option for you!
The step-by-step recipe is available at this link - on my favorite site “Magic Food”.
Ingredients:
cake with a diameter of 20 cm
2-3 nectarines or peaches, cut into thin slices (it is best to scald and peel the peaches before doing this)
280-300 g ricotta (an alternative is mascarpone, or full-fat country cottage cheese)
1 small egg
1 tbsp. l. sugar + powdered sugar
110 g flour
70 g ice cream butter
1 tbsp. l. ice water
Place the flour and ice-cold butter in a blender and beat until crumbly, then add ice water little by little until the dough comes together into a ball. Roll out the dough into a layer about 3-4 mm thick and place it in a mold, forming sides. Place the form with the dough in the refrigerator.
Mix the ricotta with sugar and egg, and beat lightly with a mixer to achieve maximum homogeneity. Place the cheese filling on the dough and smooth it out. Trim the excess dough from the edge to create a smooth edge.
Place overlapping slices of nectarines (peaches) on top of the ricotta and sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the fruit for a nice caramelization.
Bake the pie at 180 degrees. about 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
Italians are known to be masters when it comes to making desserts. What is their famous ricotta pie worth! The recipe for this dessert is simple and quick. There are several options for preparing the base - the dough, so each housewife will find among the variety of recipes her only constant option, which she will use and pamper her family.
Ricotta. What kind of animal?
Ricotta is perhaps considered the third delicacy that Italians adore, after mozzarella and Parmesan. This dairy product used to be the food of the poor, and only centuries later the Italians recognized ricotta as a delicacy. Now they, and all chefs in the world, actively use the product in the preparation of various delicacies. Recipes with ricotta are so varied that any other product will envy them. Today they prepare cakes, pastries and pies, spaghetti and tartlets, pancakes and muffins, sandwiches and cheesecakes with it.
Cheese has a low fat content and is perfectly absorbed by the body. Recipes with ricotta are used in dietary cuisine. It goes well with fruits, meats, sausages, other cheeses, nuts and vegetables.
Today we offer you a very quick and simple recipe. We will cook it with ricotta and pear. Have no doubt, this dish will be an excellent addition to both the festive table and a simple friendly gathering.
There are several variations of this dessert. The base, type of filling and variations in the combination of dough and filling vary. The base is shortbread dough, a mass of cookies or crackers, sponge cake with ricotta - a convenient option for those who do not want to spend time preparing the base. Filling - fruits, vegetables, etc. The filling can be located inside the base or in the middle of it. The only thing that remains unchanged is ricotta, which is the main component in any recipe. But first things first.
First test option
This will be a biscuit. To prepare, you will need 3-4 chicken eggs, 150 g of granulated sugar and 20 g of powdered sugar, 60-70 g of flour, 60 g of baking powder, 30-35 g of butter, 150 g of almond flour.
To prepare a delicious and tender biscuit, you will have to spend a little time. But it's worth it, believe me. Take the eggs and put them in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes so that they can be better beaten into a strong, thick foam later. Before beating, add powdered sugar to the whites.
Place the egg yolks remaining after separating the whites into another bowl. Add baking powder and almond flour to them. Ricotta pie, which contains almonds, is a classic of the genre. You can buy it ready-made in the store, or you can cook it yourself. To do this, you need to pour boiling water over the almonds for a couple of minutes to make the skin come off easier. It is better to grind nuts with your own hands in a mortar, without the use of modern kitchen innovations.
Preheated butter is added to the dough after the previous ingredients have already formed a thick foam. After this, carefully fold the whipped whites into the resulting dough.
Second test option
To prepare you will need 100 g of vanilla crackers, 50 g of butter, 40 g of almonds.
Using available means (grater, blender, food processor, etc.), vanilla crackers must be crushed into fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a water bath and add to the breadcrumbs. We also put the almonds mashed in a mortar here. The dough is ready.
Baking the dough
The process and time of baking the cakes will directly depend on the type of base you have chosen. If you are preparing a ricotta pie from puff pastry, then this dessert can be prepared in 15-20 minutes. If the base is made of crackers, then it is recommended to bake the cake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
When preparing a sponge cake, it is important to remember that the temperature in the oven should not be lower than 200 degrees. Cooking time is about 10 minutes. Having chosen a biscuit base, you can bake two cakes separately or make one cake, which will later be cut in half.
Pear Pie
So, you already know how to prepare the dough so that the ricotta pie turns out tasty and tender. Now let's look at the variety of fillings. One of the popular fillings is pear, which perfectly matches the taste with cheese.
For the filling you will need 250 g of ricotta, 250 g of heavy cream (for whipping), 75 g of granulated sugar, 300-350 g of pears, one tablespoon of butter, a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice.
The pears must be washed well, peeled and cut into small cubes. Mix fruit with granulated sugar, lemon juice and butter. Place over medium heat and cook for fifteen minutes. When the pears are soft, remove them from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, mix ricotta with granulated sugar. Add the cooled pears and blend the mixture well with a blender. Gently fold in the whipped cream using a wooden or plastic spatula. Place the resulting mixture in the refrigerator for ten minutes.
For this recipe you will need two cake layers. Place a thick layer of ricotta and pear filling on one and cover with the other. The top of the pie with ricotta and pear can be decorated with pieces of fruit, berries or whipped cream.
Lemon Pie
To prepare ricotta, it is better to use a breadcrumb base. Cream is placed on top of it. For the cream you will need 250 g of ricotta, the zest of one lemon, the zest of one orange, full-fat yogurt or whipping cream, two egg whites, a little vanilla sugar. All ingredients are whipped into a strong foam and placed on the cake. Bake for ten minutes.
Lemons will require a little preparation. They must be washed in cold water and placed in hot water for five minutes. This is done so that all excess wax comes off the peel. Cut the lemons into slices and simmer over low heat for five minutes. This preparation will make the lemons softer and remove excess acid.
After the ricotta pie is ready, place lemons on top, previously rolled in liquid honey. Slices of lemon with honey are not only an excellent flavor ingredient for this cake, but also an amazingly beautiful decoration for the dessert.
Variations on the theme of fillings
As mentioned earlier, ricotta goes great with most fruits. If you decide to make a ricotta and cream pie at home, but don't know what filling would work best, don't be afraid to experiment. Apples and peaches perfectly complement the taste of ricotta. The cake will be the most tender if you combine ricotta with candied fruits and dried fruits. A very original taste is obtained by combining several types of cheese and nuts. In general, imagination is limitless. You just have to prepare the base for the pie correctly, and the filling can be completely different.
By the way, if you make the dough less sweet, you can safely use tomatoes and zucchini as a filling. An excellent option for those who prefer vegetable desserts to fruit desserts.
For those who don’t know, ricotta is a unique Italian dairy product. It cannot be called cheese in the full sense of the word, since ricotta is prepared not from milk, but from whey. The whey that remains after mozzarella production is often used. The homeland and main producer of ricotta is Italy. The ricotta pie, the recipe for which we offer you, is also Italian. Shall we try together?
Product composition
- premium wheat flour - 400 g;
- butter - 250 g;
- chicken eggs - 2 pcs.;
- sugar -150 g;
- salt - 1/2 tsp;
- candied citrus fruits - 100 g;
- dark chocolate - 100 g;
- peach jam (can be replaced with apricot jam) - 100 g;
- ricotta - 400 g;
- cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp;
- almonds - 100 g;
- powdered sugar - 2 tbsp. l.
Preparing shortbread dough
Italians most often prepare ricotta pie using shortcrust pastry. It holds the delicate cheese filling like no other: it serves as both a frame and a delicious crumbly ingredient. To prepare shortbread dough like the Italians, it is important to follow the recipe exactly.
1. First, the butter is frozen. At the same time, sift together premium flour and salt. Then cut the cold butter into small pieces and turn on the mixer.
In Russian culinary tradition, it is customary to rub butter with your hands. The butter in this recipe is icy, very hard and difficult to grind into crumbs by hand. That's why they use a mixer.
2. As soon as the flour and butter have turned into crumbs, the equipment is turned off. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise if the oil gets too hot and spreads, the dough will be spoiled. Therefore, while the butter crumbs are cold, add sugar to the mixture and beat a little more.
3. Next, add the eggs and finish working with the mixer. There is no need to beat anything after the eggs.
4. Knead the dough several times with your hands and immediately roll it into a ball, wrap it in film and put it in the refrigerator to cool for 30 - 60 minutes.
They are busy with the filling.
Preparing the filling
1. According to the recipe, first grind the ricotta until smooth. Some housewives pass it through a sieve. Then add jam, cinnamon and stir thoroughly.
2. Finely chop candied orange or grapefruit. Tangerines are not suitable for pie; lemons are suitable as a last resort.
3. Dark or extra dark chocolate is broken into small pieces. Combine candied fruits, chocolate and ricotta.
4. Prepare the almonds. Almonds are placed in boiling water. Boil for about 2 minutes, after which the boiling water is drained and the almonds are poured with cold water. Leave for a few minutes and drain.
After this treatment, the husks are easily removed. The almonds are dried - the decoration for the pie is ready.
Putting the pie together
1. At the next stage, according to the Italian recipe, the dough is removed from the refrigerator and cut into two unequal parts.
2. The first part of a larger size is rolled out with a diameter of 30 cm for a mold of 28 cm. The second is exactly according to the diameter of the mold.
3. The mold itself is well greased with butter. A large layer of dough is laid so that the edges hang down.
4. All the filling is placed on it. Cover the top with a second layer of dough. The edges of the bottom layer are folded up and everything is fastened together.
5. Almonds are artistically placed on the top layer of the cake. Before baking, place the pie in the refrigerator for half an hour. At this time, turn on the oven and wait until it warms up to 180 degrees.
Italian pie is delicate and capricious, it loves to be allowed to cool. Only after this the pie is sprinkled with powder and cut. The normal recipe yields 8 full servings.
The finished baked goods are beautiful, fragrant and original in cut with pieces of chocolate. Take the time to prepare! The recipe will not disappoint you!
Bon appetit!
Why I love ricotta is because it is already an excellent dessert in itself. It always performs excellently in baking, both sweet and savory.
Taking advantage of the fact that there are a lot of seasonal fruits and berries now, I decided to bake a fruit pie. Everything about it is excellent: both the dough and the filling. I made the classic shortbread dough and filled it on a whim. Well, apricots were simply available (they can be successfully replaced with any other fruit or berries).
Let's first decide on the products, and then quickly prepare this beauty!
Preparation:
- mix softened butter with sugar, grind with egg
- add flour mixed with baking powder and knead into a soft elastic dough that holds its shape
- Ideally, put it in the refrigerator for an hour, then take it out and roll it out (I didn’t do this)
- Cut a circle out of baking paper with the diameter of the baking pan and place it on the bottom of the pan.
- We form the base of our pie, evenly distributing the base and don’t forget about the sides.
- mix ricotta cheese with egg and sugar, just beat a little with a whisk
- We trim the edges of the form so that they are slightly higher than the filling. We save the dough that remains from the sides (trimmings)!
- lay out the apricots and cut them in half
- mix the dough that remains from the sides with flour, chop finely - finely - you get sand crumbs
- sprinkle sand crumbs on top of the pie
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| Sand crumbs - top of the pie |
- put in the oven for 50 minutes at 180 degrees.