Citrus Infused Ricotta Pie for Easter and Beyond

ricotta pie

Bright citrus flavors of lemon and orange infuse this sweet and creamy ricotta pie. Ricotta pie is a traditional Easter dessert which has so many variations according to individual family recipes. But if I’m to be honest it really isn’t just for Easter, this pie is welcomed any time of the year when you’re wanting a special dessert to serve.

citrus pie

I have another variation of ricotta pie that I make in my own family as well, it’s filled with mini chocolate chips, citron, zest and a hint of cinnamon with flavors like the inside of a cannoli.

pie

But this dreamy version lets the sweetened ricotta shine with hints of vanilla, lemon and orange. This pie is also topped with a lattice crust which reminds me of an Easter basket, and besides the more crust the better in my book!

coffee and pie

With Easter right around the corner this pie would be a perfect addition to your dessert table, Happy Easter!

Citrus Infused Ricotta Pie for Easter and Beyond
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • Use a 9 inch deep dish pie pan
  • Pastry for a double crusted pie, either homemade or a good quality store bought one.
  • 2¾ cups of whole milk ricotta*** IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you drain your ricotta really good, excess moisture will affect the cooking time and texture. You can drain it overnight in the fridge if it's the deli kind sitting in some water. Or you can look for a full fat supermarket version.
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • zest of 1 large lemon or 2 small
  • reserve a pinch of each to sprinkle on top
  • small pastel colored chocolate eggs for garnish presentation
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the drained ricotta with the sugar until very smooth.
  3. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extract
  5. Fold in the lemon and orange zest to well combined.
  6. Place 1 half of your double pie crust into your pie plate, unbaked
  7. Pour all the filling into the pie shell.
  8. Place the whole plate onto a rimmed cookie sheet for easy in and out of the oven.
  9. Take the other piece of dough, roll it out and make 6 or 8 strips of dough and place them over the filling in a criss cross design.
  10. I usually brush some cream over the top of the crust to make a golden crust, you can do an egg wash as well, then sprinkle the pinch of zest you set aside all over the top.
  11. Bake the pie for around 45 minutes or until ricotta is set and a toothpick comes out clean and crust golden.
  12. Let it cool down then refrigerate before eating
  13. Garnish with a handful of pastel colored, small size chocolate eggs on top for presentation.

 

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Italian Anise Cookies for Easter and Beyond

anise cookies

Spring is officially here finally, and Easter is quickly approaching, and I can’t think of a better cookie to grace your dessert table than these pretty pastel glazed Italian anise cookies.

 

These cookies are classic, traditional and perfect for any special celebration and just the mere scent of them bring back fond memories of old. Italian anise cookies have played center stage at many weddings, showers, communions, graduations and of course all the major holidays.

 

What I love about these cookies is that you can change up the frosting and sprinkles to fit whatever the occasion is, so with Easter coming up I thought frosting them with some pretty pastel colors would be fun and just looking at them scream “spring” to me.anise cookies

 

Let’s talk about anise and the flavor of anise, if you haven’t tried it you’re missing out. It’s described as being warm, a little spicy and very aromatic with just a mild hint of licorice. Anise is used widely in making pastries and baked goods and it’s the essential ingredient in these cookies where you taste it inside as well as in the frosting.

 

The dough is very similar to my Anginetti Lemon Knots with a slight variation, some recipes add milk, some do not, some are made with shortening, some butter, but basically they turn out very similar. The end result will yield a soft, crumbly, light cookie that takes on the flavors of the extracts you choose, in this case it’s anise but if you prefer, lemon, almond and orange work wonderfully as well.

 

frosting cookies

 

This is the first time I mixed up different colored frostings and I’m so glad I did because they look so festive and they resemble little colored Easter eggs.anise cookies

 

The dough can be formed into balls like I did here or tied into knots and even formed into rings, either way don’t get nervous if you see some characteristic cracks on top.anise cookies

 

Don’t you think they’re the perfect addition to your Easter table? But think ahead to summer parties, baby and wedding showers, birthdays and BBQ’s, you can’t go wrong with a platter of these pretty cookies on your table.anise cookiesanise cookies

 

I did a search on the internet to find a recipe that was as close to the one made by my beloved mother-in-law who made them often for her family because sadly none of her children have a complete recipe of hers. The recipe I chose was the Anise Cookies on the Cooking with Nonna website which is Rossella Rago’s actual Nonna’s recipe, so I knew it would be a good one, and it did not disappoint.

 

I did however double the recipe and I changed up the way the cookie gets mixed, just the procedure in doing it, so that’s what I’ll be posting, it seemed easier for me with one less step for my lazy self, and they turned out absolutely fine.anise cookies

Keep this recipe tucked away for all your special occasions and make sweet memories of your own.

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5.0 from 2 reviews
Italian Anise Cookies for Easter and Beyond
 
Adapted from The Cooking with Nonna website, Anise Cookies
Author:
Ingredients
  • COOKIE DOUGH
  • 5 cups all purpose flour, un-bleached
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons anise extract
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • ICING
  • 3 cups, confectioner's sugar
  • 6 tablespoons half and half or cream, adjusting if you need a little more or less. Icing should have a nice flow when stirring it with a little thickness but not runny
  • 1 teaspoon anise extract ( or if you prefer another extract like lemon, almond or orange)
  • 1 drop of any food coloring to make your pastel colors
  • non-pariels and sprinkles to decorate
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place parchment paper onto rimmed baking sheets.
  2. In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until incorporated.
  3. In a large mixing bowl with your electric hand or stand mixer (preferably a stand mixer with paddle) add the softened butter and confectioners sugar, beat on medium speed until well combined.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time along with the extracts, beating until all is incorporated.
  5. Lower the speed and add in all your dry ingredients a cup at a time, dough ball will form and pull away from side, the dough will be sticky.
  6. Form your balls either from a rounded teaspoon or a small cookie scoop which I used. Remember you can roll your dough and form them into a knot or a ring if you like as well.
  7. Keep them 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 12 minutes total, bottoms will be golden and tops still pale with some cracks.
  8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. MAKING THE ICING
  10. Stir together in a small bowl the confectioners sugar, extract, half and half and food coloring if you are using it. Depending on how many cookies you're making you could do a large batch of white frosting then divide and separate some into smaller bowls so you can add your food coloring to each.
  11. Dip or brush the tops of the cookies into the icing then immediately add your sprinkles ( over a bowl so they don't fly all over your kitchen).
  12. Let the icing dry completely on a rack before you store them away.
  13. NOTE;
  14. You can bake these ahead of time and freeze if you don't frost them, I would recommend frosting them just a day or two ahead before you'll be serving them, otherwise the frosting won't look as nice and fresh.
  15. I made 68 cookies from this batch.

 

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Cannoli Pie

cannoli pie I know this may look like a cheesecake but actually it’s a little twist on my Sweet Ricotta Pie that I make every year for Easter. I normally make it in a deep dish ten inch pie plate with a pastry crust, but I thought I’d change it up a bit this year by making it in my springform pan, and instead of a pastry crust I used crushed cannoli shells for the crust, oh yes, it has all the flavors of a cannoli, so I call it a cannoli pie!

cannoli pie  The benefit of the springform pan is that you can release it and place it on a platter for a nice presentation, besides you want to be able to see that pretty cannoli shell crust all around it.

cannoli pie ingredients You can get your cannoli shells directly from an Italian bakery or an Italian food store that has an in house bakery, sometimes they even sell the broken pieces, just ask. My store even directed me to the cookie isle where I was able to find the ones I ended up getting. ( Caputo’s for my local peeps)

The cannoli shells were a breeze to crush in the food processor, just drop in and give them a good whirl!

cannoli shells and orange peels Chopped candied orange rinds is another important ingredient, if you can make your own that’s wonderful, if not you can purchase them, they even sell them on line, I always keep a couple of containers in my pantry.

cannoli pie You’ll treat the cannoli shell crust similar to a graham cracker crust, adding melted butter til it comes together and then pressing it along the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

cannoli pie I would advise you to make this the day before because after it comes out of the oven and cools down it has to be refrigerated, this way it will set really nice for you. I just kept mine in the pan, covered the top with tented foil and refrigerated it just like that, I had no problem un-molding it the next day and it’s much easier to make nice slices.

cannoli pie Then it’s all about adorning it with mini chocolate chips, chopped pistachio and a dusting of powdered sugar, just like a cannoli!

cannoli pie This would be a terrific dessert for Easter or any special occasion that’s coming up and it’s great that it can be made the day before.

cannoli pie It’s creamy, crunchy and dreamy just like a cannoli, make it and see for yourself!

cannoli pie

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5.0 from 4 reviews
Cannoli Pie
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 8 inch springform pan
  • FOR THE CANNOLI CRUST
  • 7 large cannoli shells
  • ¾ stick of melted butter
  • 1½ tablespoons of sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • FOR THE FILLING
  • 1½ lbs. of ricotta, drained well, not holding moisture
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon, vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon, cinnamon
  • zest of ½ of an orange
  • ½ cup of diced candied orange peel, homemade or store bought
  • ¼ cup of semi sweet MINI chocolate chips, plus extra for garnish
  • handful of chopped pistachio's also for garnish
  • powdered sugar for sprinkling
  • NOTE: If you can't find candied orange peels use the zest of a whole orange.
Instructions
  1. Heat ovent to 350 degrees
  2. Butter the bottom and sides of your springform pan, then place pan on a rimmed sheet pan for ease of putting in and taking out of oven.
  3. FOR THE CRUST:
  4. Crush your cannoli shells in a food processor along with the cinnamon and sugar, then pour in the melted butter and process untill it all comes together, then press the crumb mixture into the buttered pan along the sides and bottom, making sure it's not loose but pressing it down firm with the bottom of a glass.
  5. FOR THE FILLING:
  6. In a large bowl add the drained ricotta, and sugar, beat until smooth.
  7. Add eggs one at a time beating well until all incorporated.
  8. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.
  9. Stir in the zest, candied orange peel and chocolate chips.
  10. Pour filling into prepared pan and bake until ricotta is set and toothpick comes out clean, mine took 90 minutes but ricotta varies so keep checking every 15 minutes after an hour if it's not done.
  11. Remove from oven and let it completely cool before you refrigerate it overnight, just keep it in the pan and tent with foil.
  12. NEXT DAY:
  13. Take a knife and carefully go around the rim of the pan, just making sure it's not sticking to the sides at all, then release the spring and place the pie on a platter.
  14. Decorate the top with mini chocolate chips, pistachio's and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
  15. VARIATION:
  16. You can make this in a deep dish 10 inch pie plate instead of the springform pan, you might have some crumbs leftover. I would check it after 45 minutes to see if it's done, it will take less time than the springform pan which was much deeper.

 

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