Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
serves 10-12
Fresh ricotta cheese makes a huge difference in a cheesecake's taste and texture. Find an Italian deli that makes its own ricotta.
Read more about this recipe in George Geary's The Cheesecake Bible.
Crust:
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and ground
Filling:
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
Decoration:
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
prep: 25 minutes
total: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 8 hours to cool and refrigerate before serving
9-inch cheesecake pan or springform pan with 3-inch sides, greased
mixer with paddle attachment
wire rack
plastic wrap
flour sifter
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. For the crust: Sprinkle bottom of cheesecake pan evenly with ground pecans. Set aside.
3. For the filling: In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat ricotta cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until very smooth for 3 minutes. Add flour and mix for about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in almond extract.
4. Pour over crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in a preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle ot it, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.
5. Decoration: After cake has chilled, dust top with a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar, using a sugar dredger or flour sifter.
