Ricotta cheesecake?

[Ohioan]

Hello, I'm new here -- and I noticed too late that I'm not the only Ohioan here, so please pardon my use of the name as though I were! At any rate, I'm trying to find a recipe for a ricotta dessert that's a kind of cheesecake. My mother, who used to make it long ago, can't remember her recipe, but she insists it didn't have any flour in it. The ingredients she remembers are ricotta, eggs, and lemon zest. There was probably some sugar as well, and maybe vanilla, but we're not sure. The dessert was baked like a cake, and was incredibly moist and rich.

Does anyone have a recipe anything like this?

And even if not, hi to the other person or people in Columbus, Ohio, and do we have enough Columbusites here to start a supper (or lunch) club?

Thanks for listening to the newcomer.

[Susan]

Here's one from Gourmet magazine:

RICOTTA CHEESECAKE
Active time: 45 min Start to finish:15 hr.

For crust
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For filling
2 lb whole-milk ricotta, drained in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl at least 6 hours, chilled
6 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/8 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 350°F. Make crust:
Pulse flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice and pulse just until mixture begins to form a dough. Spread dough with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon over buttered bottom of a 24-centimeter springform pan and ***** all over with a fork. Chill 30 minutes.

Bake crust in a shallow baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes, and cool on a rack.

Increase temperature to 375°F.

Make filling and bake cake:
Discard liquid and cheesecloth and force drained ricotta through sieve into bowl. Beat yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale, then beat in ricotta, flour, and zests. Beat whites with salt in another bowl until they hold soft peaks, and fold into ricotta mixture.

Butter side of springform pan and pour filling over crust (pan will be completely full). Bake in baking pan in middle of oven until cake is puffed and golden and a tester inserted 1 inch from center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on rack. Chill, loosely covered, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cooks' note:
• Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.


Gourmet
November 1999

[Grace]

I think there's one in the new July issue? I know I saw it somewhere recently (in a CL issue). I'm not on my own computer right now, so I'll check when I get home. But I know there's a light one somewhere!!

Grace

[Jen]

There's a Ricotta Cheesecake in the October 1999 issue (on p. 200). If you don't have the recipe I can post it.

Hope this helps,
Jen

[Grace]

There is one in the new July issue....Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Plum Sauce. There is only 1/4 cup flour in it. Probably necessary to help make it firm up when you're using fat free ricotta cheese and low fat cream cheese. This may explain why your Mother's recipe has no flour in it....she probably used full fat versions of ricotta and cream cheese, which bake differently. Anyhow, if you want the recipe let me know, I'll have to type it because the new cookpac for the July issue isn't out yet, so I don't have it in my computer yet. But it looks really good. It's on Page 164 if you already have your issue, or get it soon! Hope that helps!

Grace


[This message has been edited by Grace (edited 06-23-2000).]

[Ohioan]

Originally posted by Jen:
There's a Ricotta Cheesecake in the October 1999 issue (on p. 200). If you don't have the recipe I can post it.

Thanks, Jen, and everyone else who's trying to help. I don't have my Oct 1999 issue any more, but I seem to remember that it was a flour-based cake. My mother continues to insist that she didn't use any flour in her recipe. Maybe what we're looking for is more of a pudding or custard than a cake -- but I'm pretty sure the original recipe called it a cake.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you'd post the CL recipe; it might jog Mama's memory.

The original recipe, by the way, was from the NY Times in the [gulp] 1950s or early 1960s [am I dating myself?], but it isn't in any of the NY Times cookbooks.

Cheers, Ohioan

[lorilei]

Well -- this one doesn't call for "flour" exactly... (shrug) It's easy -- an aunt of mine used to make this all the time.

Ricotta Cheese Cake

1 box yellow (made with butter) cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese

Mix cake mix per directions. Mix eggs, ricotta, sugar and vanilla. Pour cake mixture into a 13-by-9-inch pan. Pour cheese mixture over batter -- do not mix together.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check for doneness with toothpick. Cheese will bake to bottom.