Ricotta and Strawberry Cheese Pie with Almond Crust

Ingredients

Ingredients

To make crust:

Cream butter and sugar in processor until smooth.

Add flour, almonds, baking powder and salt and process just until combined.

Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk and refrigerate 1 hour in plastic wrap.

Press dough into glass pie plate, trimming excess even with edge of dish.

Crimp edge decoratively.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).

Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights.

Bake 12 minutes.

Remove beans and foil and bake until crust is set and edges are golden brown, about 20minutes.

Transfer to rack and turn the temperature up to 400 degree F.

As the pie is baking, meanwhile prepare the filling.

To make filling:

Blend ricotta cheese, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake in 400 degree F for 10 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 325 degree F.

Keep baking for an hour, until the filling sets.

Turn off the oven, let pie sit in it for another half an hour.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack completely.

Before serving, garnish with fresh berries, or grapes or oranges.