Ingredients
- 3 pounds of Ricotta — she preferred Poly Brand
- 9 Eggs — always farm-fresh and brown in her day
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Teaspoon orange and lemon zest — from fruit selected by her husband GGfather Jimmy from his neighborhood produce business.
- 1 ½ Cup sugar
- 1/3 Cup corn starch
Sometimes made without a crust – usually for the Italian holidays – and sometimes as a pie with a crust for a summer family gathering.
Let’s start with the holiday version . . .
- Butter a springform pan and dust lightly with flour
- Remember to wrap the bottom of the pan in foil to prevent the ricotta mixture from leaking
- Process or puree ricotta until smooth
- Put ricotta in a mixing bowl, and add eggs, vanilla and zest
- Whisk until smooth
- Combine sugar and cornstarch evenly in a separate bowl
- Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture to the ricotta mixture
- Pour final mix into the springform pan
- Place pan in a 1” water bath for baking — GGM Katherine uses a roasting pan passed down from her GGM
- Bake for 1-2 hours at 350° until knife in center comes out clean
- Cool in oven with the door cracked open for 30-minutes — GGM Katherine had to use a spoon to keep her oven door open, but times and ovens have changed
When cooled, release the spring and remove the cake from the pan, place it on a cake pedestal and dust the entire cake with powdered sugar and a sprinkle of orange and lemon zest. GGM Katherine would never serve her Ricotta Cheesecake without espresso and limoncello — GGF Jimmy would have it no other way!
