277736 Sat Apr 30 19:11:16 -0700 2005 11 31 Home Cooking 0 1468417 I'm looking for a recipe for the light, lemony Italian ricotta cheesecake you can find at every pasticceria in New York City -- can't seem to find a "definitive" recipe. Sat Apr 30 19:11:16 -0700 2005 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1468444 When you find one, make sure you strain the ricotta in a cheesecloth until almost all the liquid is gone and you're left with those nice fluffy curds. Ricotta is sold by weight and they leave all that liquid in there to increase their profit on that extra weight. I'm sure some even add water to it. Use the recipe measurements of the strained ricotta for best results. Sun May 01 08:37:34 -0700 2005 1468417 0 DK 1 1468499 This is not the same thing, but I love the Ricotta Pie recipe in the Vegetarian Epicure (it's the only thing I make from that book anymore). It's really a crostata. I usually substitute dried pineapple or candied ginger or lemon rind for the citron. Mon May 02 01:13:00 -0700 2005 1468417 0 heidipie 2 1468564 That sounds delicious, but not what I'm looking for. Trying to recreate the perfect Italian cheesecake. Mon May 02 17:49:04 -0700 2005 1468499 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1468511 Well, I used the recipe linked below, substituting lemon zest for the orange, vanilla and cinnamon, and it was good, but not perfect. A little too eggy, not quite smooth enough or light enough (I did drain the ricotta, but it didn't drain much.) I migh try a recipe I found on Food TV next, but I'm still soliciting recipes! Link: http://cake.allrecipes.com/az/SicilianRicottaCheeseck.asp Mon May 02 10:20:21 -0700 2005 1468417 0 Caitlin Wheeler 2 1468532 OK here is my late MIL's recipe that we enjoyed every Easter. This is in her own words, from back in the 70s! (It was worth pulling it out just to see her handwriting again!) TORTA DI RICOTTA 1 c sugar 7 or 8 eggs 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 heaping Tbsp citron 2 lemons (grate rind) (I think she means rind only) 2 1/2 lbs ricotta Mix well. Crust: In a bowl, mix 2 eggs, 1/2 c sugar, 1/4 lb. sweet butter. Place 2 cups flour on board in a circle. Add mixture in the middle and combine with flour. Roll half of dough for crust and the other half for criss-cross strips for top of torta. Heat oven five minutes before baking torta. 425 for 45 minutes. Shut off heat and leave torta for 2 or 3 minutes longer. Use a 12" aluminum tin. She, and her mother, were the best home cooks I've ever known, and the reason I got into food in the first place. Mon May 02 14:30:48 -0700 2005 1468511 0 coll 3 1468551 That's a crostata, too. The difference recipe in the Veg. Epicure is pretty similar, just slightly different proportions, a hit of brandy in the crust, almond extract and pine nuts in the filling. It's just a super yummy thing, isn't it? Mon May 02 17:04:00 -0700 2005 1468532 0 heidipie 4 1468566 I've seen Giada de Laurentiis make a ricotta Easter cake w/ pine nuts and phyllo dough. To the OP: Not sure if this is the kind of ricotta cake you're looking for, but look it up on FoodTV's website. Mon May 02 17:53:32 -0700 2005 1468551 0 Carb Lover 1 1468634 Maybe I should clarify --- An Italian Ricotta cheesecake is just like regular cheesecake, except the crust is lighter (I don't think it's a graham cracker crust) and it's very light and fluffier and also a bit cakier than regular cheesecake. Here's a picture: Image: http://www.venierospastry.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Italian%20CheesecakeL.jpg Tue May 03 10:24:38 -0700 2005 1468417 0 Caitlin Wheeler 1 1468649 We (my family - mom's Italian) always call them ricotta pies and recently when I was looking for a recipe I didn't even know what a ricotta cheesecake was! Ha! Anyway, one quick tip is to run your strained ricotta through the food processor before mixing in any of the other ingredients. It definitely makes a difference in the texture. That being said, we, too, are on the lookout for the perfect ricotta pie! Lots of fun trying to figure it out! Good luck! Mel Tue May 03 11:41:07 -0700 2005 1468417 0 Jellybelly 1 2135895 This is my mom's recipe for ricotta cheesecake (she called it Pastiera). It's a cake, made in a springform pan; not the ricotta pie (which she also made). Since it's Mom's recipe (and was probably her mom's, handed down), there isn't much in the way of details. I follow with a 2nd recipe my mom got from Sorrento's and liked. Mom's Pastiera 3 lbs ricotta 2 c sugar 1/2 pt heavy cream 7 whole eggs 5 egg yolks 1 orange rind 1 lemon rind 1 T orange juice 1 T vanilla or rum 2 T lemon juice 2 T corn starch 3 T flour Mix all (didn't say anything about draining the ricotta). Cook @ 300 degrees for about 2 hours, then turn oven off and let cake sit in oven for 4-5 hours. Sorrento's holiday cheesecake 2 lb container Sorrento's whole milk ricotta 1 1/3 c sugar 6 T flour 5 large eggs, separated grated rind of 1 lemon 1 T vanilla 1/2 c heavy cream, whipped graham cracker crumbs Butter sides and bottom of 12 inch spring form or angel food pan. Dust with graham cracker crumbs. Beat ricotta with 1 cup sugar and egg yolks. Beat in flour, lemon rind, and vanilla. Beat separately egg whites with 1/3 c sugar until stiff. Combine with whipped cream and fold into the ricotta mixture. Pour into pan. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then lower temp to 350 degrees and bake 1 hour. Turn heat off and let cool in oven. Note: neither recipe calls for draining the ricotta. I remember Mom's cake as very dense and very moist but with a wonderful texture because of the curds. I'm going to try to make Mom's recipe this weekend in a spring form. We didn't usually have a crust but I'm thinking of crumbling biscotti instead of graham crackers for one. And a friend made lemon curd for me, so I'm thinking of serving it with the cake. Enjoy. Fri Dec 29 03:48:04 -0800 2006 1468417 37222 saratogad 2 4261995 For your top cake recipe, it is a cake, not cheesecake, right? I just got 2lbs of very fresh ricotta and would love to make a cake with it, not a cheesecake though. Sat Dec 20 10:20:34 -0800 2008 2135895 79652 itryalot