Preparation time
30 mins + 1 hour resting dough
Cooking time
80 mins
Serves
12+
FOR THE PASTRY
2 ¼ cups (335g) plain flour
3 tbsp sugar
75g unsalted butter
90ml dry white wine
FOR THE FILLING
900g fresh ricotta (use sheep’s milk to
be authentic), drained
12 eggs, separated
¾ cup sugar
Grated zest of 2 lemons or 2 oranges
½ cup candied orange, citron or peel
½ cup golden raisins plumped in hot water
METHOD
- For the pastry: combine flour and sugar in food processor. Pulse butter until the texture of coarse breadcrumbs, then quickly blend in the wine. Roll pastry into a large ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC (fan forced 170ºC). Roll pastry out between 2 sheets of baking paper and line the bottom and sides (leaving 1cm pastry to sit over the rim) of 23cm springform cake tin. Cover the pastry with baking paper and weigh down with dried beans or rice. Blind bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Discard paper and beans and return tooven to dry out the base for around 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 160ºC (fan forced 140ºC).
- If ricotta is not very smooth, push through strainer to remove any lumps. Beat egg yolks and sugar with electric beaters in a large bowl until thick and pale, then beat in sieved ricotta. Fold in the lemon or orange zest.
- Beat egg whites until they are stiff but not dry. Fold gently into the ricotta mixture, then candied orange and drained raisins, spoon into the pie shell, and bake for around 50 minutes or until the top of the torte is golden brown and filling is set. Do not be concerned that the filling rises as it will settle as it cools.
- remove and cool to room temperature before serving.