Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake

Step 1

Before we begin, preheat the oven to 180°

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, icing sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Step 3

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Step 4

Add the milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla paste to the well.

Step 5

Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the bowl.

Step 6

Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until a soft dough forms.

Step 7

Avoid adding too much flour, as this will make the dough tough.

Step 8

Sift the ricotta through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps and create a smooth, creamy texture.

Step 9

Add the sugar to the ricotta and stir until well combined.

Step 10

Cover the filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the pastry is ready to roll out.

Step 11

Now that we've placed the pastry in the tin, we can transfer the delicious ricotta cream filling that we made earlier into the base. Give it one last stir and add it all in. Smooth the ricotta out to the edges.

Step 12

Carefully cut off the excess pastry with a sharp knife, leaving a small overhang. Set the excess pastry aside.

Step 13

To make the pastry lid, lightly flour your rolling pin and a clean work surface. Roll out the remaining pastry into a circle.

Step 14

Place the dough over the tin and press down gently to seal. Trim the edges of the pastry lid to match the size of the tin.

Step 15

To seal the edges of the cheesecake, brush the overhang of pastry with egg white. Place the pastry lid over the cheesecake and press down gently to seal.

Step 16

Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set.

Step 17

Let the cheesecake cool completely before dusting it with a mixture of icing sugar and ground cinnamon.