Happiness for the Baking Challenged

People buy me cookbooks because I love to cook, but the truth is, I rarely follow recipes. I prefer to be creative and if I happen to look at a recipe, I usually change it anyway.

So, why am I so baking challenged??? Even at an early age, the dichotomy of talent between my cooking and baking skills started to surface. At nine years old, I knew how to make homemade meatballs, but I was burning the mini cakes in my Betty Crocker oven! I think it’s because baking has too many rules. I want no rules. I want to be free to create, taste and experiment without a sunken soufflé at the end of my adventure. Cooking is a form of art to me and those exact baking measurements take the fun out of it. It’s like giving Picasso a paint-by-number set!


When I have a dinner party, I do like to make dessert, so I have a couple of fool-proof desserts that I rely on, some of which I’ve been cooking since I was a child. Not the Betty Crocker mini cakes!

This simple recipe below is for anyone who never thought they could make a delicious, gourmet looking, perfect dessert. It’s an Italian version of a cheese cake, but in my opinion much tastier and lighter. I made these every holiday and special occasion with my mother who was from Sicily. It takes no more than twenty minutes to prepare and an hour to bake. The pie has a creamy filling with a subtle citrus flavor and a flaky crust.

The recipe calls for two 9 inch pies. No sense making just one. They go fast and can be refrigerated for at least a week. You can even freeze one for a later date. And, if you’re using frozen pie shells, they usually come in packages of two anyway. Knock yourself out and make your own dough if you like, but I don’t.

If you’re still don’t want to bake, go to Plan B which I often do. Go to your best neighborhood bakery and buy a cake!

Buon Apetito!
Debbie



Italian Ricotta Dessert Pie
By Debbie Gisonni and her mother, Vita Gisonni


Ingredients for Two Pies (Use organic ingredients whenever possible)

Filling:

2 lbs whole milk ricotta
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange extract
1 tablespoon lemon extract

Crust:

2 - 9 inch pie shell crusts.

These can be homemade, store bought dough or frozen shells. I like the frozen shells Whole Foods carries which you can get in regular or whole wheat. Try not to buy anything pre-made containing high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils or trans fats.

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees

Combine all ingredients for filling and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Pour into the two unbaked or frozen pie shells. Bake for one hour. Cool and then refrigerate overnight.

Serve with powdered sugar and fresh berries sprinkled on each piece (optional). This makes it look like it came from a five star restaurant.