1poundwhole milk ricotta454 grams, room temperature
2tablespoonsorange zestgrated
3tablespoonssugargranulated
½cupheavy whipping creamroom temperature
1tablespoonrum
icing sugar for garnish (optional)
Egg wash:
1egg
1tablespoonwater or milk
Instructions
The shortcrust pastry dough:
Cut ½ cup of cold unsalted butter into 18 small pieces and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
In a food processor combine the dry ingredients and pulse a few times.
Add the cut-up butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse ground meal.
Add the slightly beaten eggs and the vanilla extract and pulse until the dough comes together.
Turn out the dough on a lightly floured wooden board and form it into a smooth disc by pressing the dough together.
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimal 30 minutes before using it.
The ricotta filling:
Break (or chop) both the dark and semi-sweet chocolate into little pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer.
Set bowl of chocolate over a pot of water. Ensure water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
When the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove it from heat and stir to finish melting.
Set aside to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl (of a stand mixer) beat the ricotta and orange zest at low speed with the paddle attachment until smooth (about 2 minutes). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Gradually add the sugar, whipping cream, rum and melted and cooled chocolate. Combine this whole mixture together. Set aside while we roll out the pastry dough.
Rolling the dough:
Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
Prepare a 9-inch tart pan by buttering and flouring, or use non-stick spray and set aside.
Cut off one-third of the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. We will be using this dough to create the strips for the lattice top.
Place two-thirds of the dough on a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a circle that is roughly 2 inches larger in diameter than the tart pan, about ⅜- ¼ inch (approx. ½ cm) thick.
Transfer the dough to the pan, and gently press it into the sides and bottom. Trim the excess overhang of dough with a knife. Place it in the refrigerator.
Lightly flour the same sheet of parchment paper. Use the rolling pin to roll out the reserved one-third dough in a 9-10 inch circle. Using a pastry cutter, cut into 10 (¾-inch) strips. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
The final touches:
Remove the pasta frolla tart shell from the refrigerator and spoon in the chocolate ricotta filling.
Spread the filling evenly over the base of the crust with the help of an offset spatula.
To create a lattice top, remove the pastry strips from the refrigerator and brush each strip with egg wash. Brush the rim of the dough in the tart pan as well.
Place five strips of dough first in one direction, then in the other. Remove any excess dough with a knife. Refer to the photo in the article for more details.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the center filling is set.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Optional: Dust with icing sugar and/or serve with sweet ricotta.
Notes
Please note that I use this pasta frolla recipe to create the tart shell for this baked ricotta dessert. Please refer to the article for step-by-step photos and more details.
Use high-quality ricotta to avoid having a sandy texture in the final product.
Take the ricotta cheese and the whipping cream out of its package and let it come up to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Weighing flour is the most precise method for measuring this ingredient. If you don't have a kitchen scale, the next best method is to fluff your flour, then use a dry measuring cup to scoop the flour and level it off with the back of a knife. For reference, 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 142 grams [source].
Use a fluted pastry wheel to cut the strips of dough for a lattice top with fluted edges.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. *adapted from The Italian Way