La Pastiera ~ This is an unusal cheesecake that traditionally is made each year around Naples for the Easter season. It is a cheesecake but one that has cooked wheat berries added to it which changes the texture considerably. The pie is lightly flavored with citrus, and cinnamon, and it is absolutely delicious.
These days, you can find cooked wheat in many Italian specialty stores, but if you wanted to, you could easily cook your own following the directions below.
1/4 Pound Skinless Cooked Wheat
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Powdered Or Confectioners Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Orange Juice
8 Tablespoons Unsalted, Cold Butter Cut Into Small Pieces
1/4 Cup Milk
6 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Zest
1 Teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, or Lemon Extract
2 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Pounds Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons Candied Citron, Cut Into Tiny Dice
2 Tablespoons Toasted, Slivered Almonds
1 Egg White Beaten With 1 Tablespoon Water For Topping
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Mix together the flour, and powdered sugar. Make a well in the center, and add the two egg yolks, and orange juice. With your fingers, mix in the butter until the dough is in pea sized pieces. Add just enough milk so the dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 of an inch. Place the dough in the bottom of a deep 10 inch pie pan. Trim excess dough around edges and reserve for topping. If the dough is too soft to roll, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, orange zest, lemon extract, and sugar. Add the ricotta and mix well. Stir in the cooked wheat, candied fruit and chopped almonds. Mix well. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared pie pan. Using the remaining dough, cut strips about 1 inch in width, and place them in a crisscross pattern over the cheese. Brush the strips lightly with the egg and water mixture, and then bake the pie for about 1 1/2 hours until lightly browned on top. Cool before serving.
Cooking Your Own Wheat: Take 1/4 pound skinless wheat and soak it overnight in cool water in the refrigerator, changing the water three times. Cover with lightly salted water in a heavy saucepan, and cook for about 1 hour. Drain, and rinse the wheat in cool water in a sieve. Use as needed.
