We are going to be a bit short-staffed here this week with two-thirds of S&H traveling until next Tuesday, but not to worry, we have some posts set up for you and I’ll be sure to do the Weekend Guide before setting off to France on Friday and forgetting about everything including this:).
In the meantime, I made a hazelnut and lemon ricotta pie – it’s a bit of a spin on my reliable standby ricotta pie recipe – anything goes, you can add or subtract from this as you like in terms of spices or flavorings. Also good with chocolate chips, as most things are.
You’ll need:
- 1.5 packs of ricotta if pack 250g
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3 tablespoons ground hazelnuts
- 1 sheet puff pastry (not sweet, either homemade or readymade)
1. Prepare a round baking dish by buttering it and dusting it with about a tablespoon of the ground hazelnuts. Layer the rolled out pastry on top and also finely dust with hazelnuts.
Don’t roll the pastry too thin and leave enough overhang on the edges so that you can tuck it tightly around the filling later – the ‘tucking’ will be important because you don’t want the pastry to rise above the filling as the pie cools and settles. I mean, it won’t make it taste any worse, it just won’t look as nice!
2. Prepare the filling by mixing ricotta, sugar and egg in a bowl and gradually adding spices to taste. You really don’t need a lot of sugar for this but it is much, much better with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg. I love nutmeg.
3. Zest the lemon (Microplane! a life-changing experience, in terms of zesting at least) and fold that in well. Add vanilla (don’t overdo it). Don’t overdo the mixing either as you want the filling to remain light and fluffy.
4. Spoon filling onto prepared pastry. The filling should not be runny or too liquid! Even out the top with the back of a teaspoon. Dust top with hazelnuts.
5. Neatly and tightly tuck the pastry edged around the filling (tighter than in this picture!). Brush pastry with a light eggwash.
6. Bake in a 180C oven for about 35-40 minutes, until pastry is golden and a toothpick (or chopstick, my weapon of choice) inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean.
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