A rich and airy ricotta pie - studded with raisins and flavored with orange zest and orange flower water - all baked in a shortdough lattice-topped crust!
INGREDIENTS (for 8 servings):
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
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- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 1/3 cups milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons orange flower water
- 4 egg whites
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place raisins in a small saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook over low heat or 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
To Make Dough: In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg yolk. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball. Wrap with plastic and let rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
In a medium saucepan, combine cooked rice, milk, orange zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is creamy and thick. Remove from heat. Mix in ricotta cheese, 3 egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, cooked raisins and cinnamon. Stir in vanilla and orange flower water.
In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
Roll out 3/4 of the pastry dough into an 11 inch circle and line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Pour filling into dough. Roll out remaining 1/4 of the dough into a 10 inch circle and cut into lattice strips. Criss-cross the strips over the filling. Seal the lattice strips to the bottom pastry.
Bake in preheated oven for an hour, or until pastry is golden brown. Cool at room temperature for about 5 hours.