Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy EASTER

A Re-Post worth sharing today:

It isn't Easter for me without these:
Being Italian and raised Catholic you have to have Easter Pie on Easter. My family makes 2 pies: Sweet Pie and Meat Pie. They are made only at Easter time.

The Sweet Pie is made with a special crust called "pasta frolla", it is rich with eggs, lightly sweet, and I like to add a little grated orange peel. (This dough makes excellent cut-out cookies as well) The filling is creamy and rich with ricotta, cream and grano--an Italian wheat-grain berry that adds a nutty, toothsome texture to the pie.

 Through the years, I have modified the "Meat Pie" into 3 versions: the original, with 4 cheeses, ham, salami and proscuitto, a spinach vegetarian verson, and plain cheese (for my salami-hatin' kids--can you believe?)

They are perfect for that saturday morning before Easter, eating and savored cold from the fridge with lots of hot coffee. Save one of each pie for yourselves, and bring the rest to wherever you're going for Easter! I guarentee it to be a unique addition not many people have ever had.
Click to Enlarge collage showing steps for Sweet Pie.

Recipe for Sweet Pie:


Pasta Frolla Dough (or use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts)
2 cups flour, sifted

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt

1/4 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. milk

2tsp grated orange rind

Mix the butter and flour, then add eggs and the rest. Knead to form a soft sticky dough. Refrigerate at least 3 hrs or overnight before rolling out.


FILLING

2 cups cooked wheat (I purchsed mine dry and cooked it on low in a crockpot w/equal amounts of water to grain and a pinch of salt for 4 hrs or until water was almost all dissolved and grain was puffy, or buy canned at Italian grocery)

1/4 cup cream, scalded

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 cup citron, diced (optional)

1/4 orange peel, diced

1 1/2 lbs. ricotta(whole milk please)

1 cup sugar

6 eggs

1/2 cupcMINI choc chips, opt

1 Tbsp. orange water(or orange extract)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. confectioners sugar



In the scalded cream, mix wheat, salt and sugar. Set aside off heat.

Remove from heat, add citron and orange peel, set aside. To prepare
filling, beat ricotta and sugar, then add eggs vanilla and orange
water, blend well. Stir in prepared wheat . Pour into pie shell.(pasta frolla or atore bought Pillsbury if lazy, pressed for time, still good) Arrange lattice topping over filling, flute the edge.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approx 1 hour or until set in center. (Don't overbake or it is dry--better to underbake)

Let cool then Refrigerate. To serve dust with confectioners sugar.  Serve Cold.

I am sorry but I can't part with my Meat Pie recipes just yet... but a little hint: Google "Italian Easter Meat Pie" and I promise you will have a plethora of recipes to choose from. They're all good.

Buona Pasqua!!!

8 comments:

  1. Looks yummy1 I grew up with Italian holiday feasts so I understand the whole pie thing! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such a nice comment. I hope you will return soon.

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  2. Uhhh, YUMMMMMMM! Not Italian or Catholic, but I can totally groove on some delicious food! Thanks for sharing, I think I will be doing some baking in the near future!

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  3. Hi.. I’m Barb from Check me out Saturdays ..a vision to remember..I just became your newest Follower!!! The Pies are great!!
    I'm new to this but have found such wonderful people doing these parties & link ups. I wish the rest of the world could be as uplifting & supportive to each other as I have experienced here. I hope you will pop over to see my blog @ santasgiftshoppe.blogspot.com
    & get inspired for your family/home & that you will become a follower of mine too.
    Happy Easter!! Barb
    P.S. Hope to have my own link party Monday April 12th “My Creative Space Monday” @ santasgiftshoppe.blogspot.com
    …..I’d love you will join up, too.

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  4. Girls Thanks for all the kind words-- I will pop over and see your blogs right now! I'm with you Barb I love this blogging world its opening up so much for me and its sooo therapeutic isn't it? Its upped my gratitude level exponentially!

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  5. Yum - Your pie sounds delicious! This Italian Catholic girl wants to try it soon!

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  6. Yummy...if only I could make the time! Thanks so much for stopping by; so nice to meet you! -shaunna

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  7. Ohh I love pasta frolla! We make it in Argentina with a "dulce de membrillo" filling, this is a delicious sweet quince jam that we usually just have with cheese.

    Thanks for the recipe and hope you had a Happy Easter Ann!

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  8. These look awesome- Now I'm craving pie!!

    Thanks for popping in on my headboard project! I wrote about my the materials I used here (http://gardenberger.blogspot.com/2011/03/shopping-for-parts_28.html). But I used a french cleat t attach the headboard to the wall. Also, I had to buy the nail head trim from online- only the single nails came from Joanne's.

    I hope this helps!! Good luck and if you want, link your project back to me. I would LOVE to see it!

    http://gardenberger.blogspot.com/2011/03/shopping-for-parts_28.html

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Thanks for stopping by!! I love your comments!