I came back from a trip in need of a little baking inspiration, and a friend sent me this recipe. It's called Ricotta Sour Cream Pie, a creamy Italian pie with a gluten-free cookie crust. I don't have a lot of experience with ricotta pies since I usually would just opt for a cream cheese cake of some sort, but this one was very good. My husband thought it was like cannoli in pie form, which is a compliment since cannoli is one of his favorite desserts. This does have a bit more lemon, though.
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Gluten-Free Crumb Crust
The recipe is as easy as they come, but you'll have to gather a few special flours for the crust. I used a mix of brown rice flour, almond flour and oat flour, all three of which are readily available. In fact, for the oat flour I just ground some oats. The almond flour adds flavor and texture, but If you don't want to use nuts, you can substitute the same weight of spelt, which is what my friend uses. The crust, which is partially baked before filling, tastes like a nutty lemon shortbread cookie. Here's a picture of it unbaked.
Draining Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta Sour Cream Pie should have a smooth and creamy, lightly lemon flavored filling. Level of flavor might vary depending on what brand of ricotta you use since some are smoother and more flavorful. Just be sure to drain the ricotta cheese -- don't skip that! I drained it by spreading it on a stack of paper towels, letting it sit for 20 minutes, then scraping it off and right into the bowl with the other ingredients.
Lemon and Other Flavorings
My friend and I both used quite a bit of lemon to flavor the pie, and it needs it. Vanilla may also be added to the filling, but since the crust already has vanilla in it I left it out. If you are new to ricotta pies, you'll notice they don't have the same tartness as American style cream cheese cake. Even with all of the sour cream, the flavor is a little milder. And I think the pie will only be as good as the brands of ricotta and sour cream you use.
Recipe
Ricotta Sour Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 80 grams brown rice flour (rounded half cup)
- 60 grams almond flour (around ⅔ cup)
- 60 grams oat flour (half cup)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 stick butter, melted and cooled, plus a little more for greasing the pan (114 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
Filling
- 330 grams drained ricotta (from one 425 gram carton)
- 170 grams sour cream (¾ cup)
- 100 grams sugar (½ cup)
- 8 grams cornstarch (1 tablespoon)
- 120 grams heavy cream (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon) I used a large lemon with fluffy coarse zest
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch metal pie dish. Glass should work, but I've only tested in metal.
- Before you begin, drain the ricotta by spreading 400 grams of it onto a stack of paper towels. Let stand while you make the crust.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the rice flour, almond flour, oat flour, salt, sugar and lemon zest. Add the vanilla and the melted butter. Mix until fully blended.
- Press mixture into the greased pie dish going up the sides, using your fingers to smooth it and make a neat edge. Freeze for about 10 minutes. Press some parchment paper over the cold firm crust, then weigh down with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes.
- To make the filling, use a handheld mixer to blend together the drained ricotta, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, whipping cream, lemon zest, egg yolks and salt.
- Pour the filling into the warm pie crust. Set on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. When it's done it will appear set but still jiggly.
- Let cool at room temperature for about an hour, then refrigerate for about 3-4 hours to chill and fully set.
Anna says
I'll try that next time. Thanks for the tip! Also, our store had Galbani and Polly-O. Those were the two choices. Next time I'll try the Galbani since you recommended it.
Darlene says
An easy way to drain ricotta is to empty the ricotta in a coffee filter that is placed inside a sieve/strainer over a bowl. Be sure to place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ricotta to prevent drying out. When making filling for cannoli, I drain the ricotta overnight in the refrigerator with this method. I prefer Galbani brand.
Anna says
Hi Margaret! The recipe is from a baker friend in Canada who put it together. We collaborated a little bit from there and made some changes in the crust (almond flour replacing spelt, reducing the butter). Thank you for trying it. We still have some left, but I'm excited about making it again. The crust was especially good, and I'm looking forward to trying it again on some more gluten-free pies.
Margaret Garboushian says
So, I found this unusual recipe for Ricotta Sour Cream Pie and spent the morning preparing it and then waiting for it to set.Oh my Lord, what a surprise!! The ricotta with sour cream and lemon made the pie taste so heavenly, I might just retire " cream cheese" from my kitchen! Thanks for sharing this very delightful dessert recipe!!
Abino Dunes says
Looks great Anna