#3710 - Ricotta Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

(this recipe is for Dec. 19th)

16 eggs
3 cups white sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
3 lbs. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
4 cups flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP Crisco shortening (cold)
1 TBSP milk

Batter: In a mixer add 12 eggs, 2 cups of white sugar and 2 tsp. vanilla--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add all of the ricotta cheese and the chocolate chips--stir well, then set aside. Crust: in a bowl add the flour, baking powder and 1 cup white sugar--stir to mix. Add 1/2 cup + 1 TBSP cold Crisco shortening--mix with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Add four beaten eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla--mix with your hands to form the dough. Cut the dough into four equal balls, wrap each in Saran wrap, then refrigerate them for 1 hour. Grease TWO deep dish pie plates. Roll out two of the doughs and place them in the greased pie plates. Flute the edges of the doughs. Roll out the other two doughs, cut them into 1/2" strips. Divide the batter evenly into the two pie crusts. Arrange the cut dough strips evenly over the top of each pie. Use a pastry brush to brush the milk over the dough strips. Cover the dough edges with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and turn each pie halfway around. Continue baking another 30 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean and crusts are golden brown. Cool completely, then refrigerate until cold.