My parents are moving to a smaller house and are cleaning out the old place. My mother asked me if I wanted this cookbook – Italy – The Beautiful Cookbook. I was all over it. Should I feel funny that my brother and I actually had originally gifted this to my mom. Not at all. I get to share use the recipes and keep this going in my family. This ricotta pie, known in Italian as Crostata Di Ricotta, is ricotta based and gets its chocolate flavor from melted semisweet chocolate and enhanced with Dekuyper’s Kirschwasser Natural Cherry Flavored Brandy. The original recipe calls for maraschino liqueur but I could not find it at my liquor store.

The crust for this recipe is also homemade. It really is not that hard to make your own crust and it does not take that long. In the learning column, though, I would add that the crust needs to be par-baked a few minutes before adding the ricotta filling. I followed the directions exactly and the crust was not as firm as it needed to be. Ovens are so temperamental that it may just be my oven but be it cannot hurt to pre-cook the crust a little bit (only the bottom layer).

Ricotta Pie 2014-11-12 02:00:16 Serves 8 Ricotta & chocolate filled homemade pie crust Write a review Save Recipe Print Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 1 hr 20 min Total Time 1 hr 40 min Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 1 hr 20 min Total Time 1 hr 40 min Ingredients 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour 3 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 3 oz butter 3 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup milk 3 oz semisweet chocolate 1/4 cup cherry brandy 8 oz ricotta pin of ground cinnamon grated rind of 1 lemon 1 egg white, beaten Pastry dough Combine 2 1/2 cups of flour, 3 egg yolks sugar and butter in a mixer. When it forms into dough, remove from the mixer and roll into a ball. Let rest. Filling Beat with 3 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar until light. Add 2 tbsp flour and the milk and cook in a double boiler over simmering water until the mixture thickens. Melt the chocolate with cherry brandy in the microwave (do not overcook). Stir into the egg mixture and let cool completely. Put the ricotta mixture through a sieve (strainer). Gradually stir into the cool custard. Add the cinnamon and lemon rind. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes. Baking Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a pie dish with cooking spray. Roll out the dough into a circle about 3/4" inches thick. Cut out a circle just larger than the dish. Place into the pie dish. Press the dough against the sides of the pie dish. Fill the dish with the ricotta mixture. Roll out the dough and top the pie. Crimp the edges. Brush the top with the egg white. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool before serving. Serve and enjoy! Feed Your Soul Too http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/

Flour & Egg in Mixer.

Dough rolled into a ball.

Dough rolled out and added to the pie dish.

Making the Custard.

Chocolate added.

Ricotta mixture added to the pie crust.

Pie crust top added.

Plated.

Serve and enjoy!