Rose Gallettas Ricotta Pie Recipes

ROSE GALLETTA'S RICOTTA PIE

Steps:

• To Make the Crust: Combine the flour, 6 tablespoons white sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and the 1 egg. Work dough until it forms a ball. Do not knead or over work the dough. Generously flour a work surface and roll dough out to fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Place dough in a greased pie plate. Poke holes in the center with the tines of a fork. Do not prebake.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat ricotta, yolks, and sugar until lemon colored. Add lemon juice, zest, and vanilla.
• Beat whites until stiff, fold into lemon mixture. Pour mixture into the prepared shell. Do not over fill the shell, it rises slightly when baking.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes. Let pie cool then refrigerate to set; the pie will become creamy and dense. Serve cold.

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.