Italians, as you know, masters in the preparation of desserts. What is their famous ricotta pie worth! The recipe for such a dessert is simple and quick. There are several options for preparing the base - the test, so each housewife will find among the variety of recipes their only permanent option that they will use and pamper their home.
Ricotta What kind of beast?
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 after centuries the Italians recognized ricotta as a delicacy. Now they, and all the cooks of the world, are actively using the product in the preparation of various delicacies. Ricotta recipes are so diverse that any other product will envy them. Today she makes cakes, pastries and pies, spaghetti and tartlets, pancakes and muffins, sandwiches and cheesecakes.
Cheese has a low fat content, is perfectly absorbed by the body. Ricotta recipes are used in the diet kitchen. It goes well with fruits, meat, sausages, other cheeses, nuts and vegetables.
Today we offer you a very quick and easy recipe. We will cook the most delicious pie with ricotta and pear. Do not hesitate, this dish will be a great addition to the festive table and simple friendly gatherings.
There are several options for this dessert. The basis, type of filling and variations of the combination of dough and filling differ. The basis is shortbread dough, a mass of cookies or crackers, biscuit dough. Puff pastry cake with ricotta is a convenient option for those who do not want to spend time preparing the base. Stuffing - fruits, vegetables, etc. Stuffing can be located inside the base or in the middle of it. Only the ricotta remains unchanged, which is the main component in any recipe. But first things first.
First test option
It will be a biscuit. For cooking, you 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. We take the eggs and separate the yolks from the proteins. We remove the squirrels in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes so that they later beat better in a strong, thick foam. Before whipping, add the powdered sugar to the proteins.
The egg yolks remaining after separation of the proteins are placed in another dish. To them we add baking powder and almond flour. Ricotta pie, which includes almonds, is a classic of the genre. Almond flour can be bought ready-made in the store, or you can cook it yourself. To do this, pour the almonds with boiling water for a couple of minutes to make the skin easier to move. It is better to grind nuts with your own hands in a mortar, without the use of modern kitchen innovations.
Pre-warmed butter is added to the dough after the previous ingredients have already formed a thick foam. After this, carefully beat the whipped proteins into the resulting dough.
Second test option
For cooking, you will need 100 g of vanilla crackers, 50 g of butter, 40 g of almonds.
Using vanilla crackers (grater, blender, food processor, etc.), you need to grind it into small crumbs. Melt the butter in a water bath and add to breadcrumbs. Here we put almonds mashed in a mortar. The dough is ready.
Baking dough
The process and time of baking the cakes will directly depend on the type of base that you have chosen. If you cook a pie with ricotta from puff pastry, then such a dessert is prepared in 15-20 minutes. If the base is made from crackers, then it is recommended to bake the cake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
When preparing a biscuit, it is important to remember that the temperature in the oven should be at least 200 degrees. Cooking time is about 10 minutes. Choosing a biscuit base, you can bake two cakes separately or make one cake, which will later be cut in half.
Pear Cake
So, how to cook the dough so that the ricotta pie turns out to be tasty and tender, you already know. Now we will deal with a variety of fillings. One of the popular toppings is considered a pear, which ideally combines to taste with cheese.
For the filling you will need 250 g of ricotta, 250 g of fat cream (for whipping), 75 g of granulated sugar, 300-350 g of pears, one tablespoon of butter, a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice.
Rinse the pears well, peel them and cut into small cubes. Mix fruit with granulated sugar, lemon juice and butter. Put on 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 the ricotta with sugar. Add chilled pears and grind the mass well with a blender. Gently add whipped cream with a wooden or plastic spatula. Remove the resulting mass for ten minutes in the refrigerator.
In this recipe you will need two cakes. On one, place a thick layer of ricotta and pear filling, cover with the other. On top of the pie with ricotta and pear, you can decorate with pieces of fruit, berries or whipped cream.
Lemon pie
To make a pie with lemon and ricotta, it is better to take a base from crackers. A cream is placed on top of it. The cream will require 250 g of ricotta, the zest of one lemon, the zest of one orange, fatty yogurt or cream for whipping, two proteins, a little vanilla sugar. All ingredients are whipped in a strong foam, placed on 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 for five minutes. This preparation will make lemons softer and remove excess acid.
After the ricotta cake is ready, put the lemons on top, previously boned in liquid honey. Slices of lemon with honey are not only an excellent flavoring ingredient of this cake, but also an amazingly beautiful dessert decoration.
Variations on the theme of fillings
As mentioned earlier, ricotta goes well with most fruits. If you decide to make a pie with ricotta and cream at home, but don’t know which filling is best, do not be afraid to experiment. Perfectly complement the taste of ricotta apples and peaches. The most tender cake will turn out 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, the fantasy is endless. It is only necessary to prepare the basis for the cake correctly, and the filling can be completely different.
By the way, if you make the dough less sweet, then you can safely use tomatoes and zucchini as the filling. A great option for those who prefer fruit desserts to vegetables.