Neapolitan pastiera. Easter cake in Italy by LOLETA
The dough (pasta frolla)
330 g flour (slightly more for flour)
165 g of butter at room temperature
130 g of icing sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
the tip of a teaspoon of baking powder
1 ml of orange blossom water
the skin zest of a lemon
1 pinch of salt
For the cream cheese frosting
350 g of ricotta to drain a few hours before
300 g sugar
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 ml of orange blossom water
70 g candied orange and lemon peel
For wheat
250 g of wheat grain – I used bulgur and it came out great but more dark than it normally is this cake cream
1 litre of milk
1/2 stick cinnamon
the skin of a lemon
the skin of an orange
For the cream of wheat
300 g of cooked grain (previous step)
200 g milk
the skin of a lemon
the skin of an orange
25 g of butter
1 the night before with an electric mixer, mix the butter soft with the sugar, lemon zest and the orange blossom, for at least 5 minutes, until the mixture is creamy and smooth; Add the egg. Then add an egg yolk. Wait until it is well blended and then add the second. Once you have a soft and homogeneous cream, add the salt. Now, start adding flour and baking mix by hand with a spatula. Moving onto a floured surface, and knead to form a ball. Flatten it as much as possible, and wrap in plastic wrap. Let stand in the refrigerator until the next day. This is fundamental for the pastiera goes well.
Put soaked in the grain of wheat.
2. to the next day, in the morning, strain it and boil it very slow in one liter of milkwith the skin of a lemon and the branch of cinnamon, for an hour. Past this time the milk will be evaporated (need to monitor cooking to avoid burning). Remove lemon peel and cinnamon branch. We reserve.
3. now, the cream of wheat. Citrus peel and keep the skin. In a large pot, put the wheat or bulgur, milk, butter and all orange and lemon skins. Cook for 25 minutes at slow moving with a wooden spoon until a smooth cream is obtained. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Then remove the skins of citrus and blend. I prefer it because I like more creamy texture, but it can also leave without crushing.
4. prepare the cream cheese. With close mesh strainer or a strainer, sift the ricotta in order to obtain a cream perfectly smooth. Now add the whole eggs and beat, adding the egg yolks one by one, and to ensure that it is well incorporated before adding the second. Add the orange blossom water and candied fruits. Then add cold cream of wheat and mix the mixture. Leave in the refrigerator covered with a plastic wrap.
5. grease and flour our pastiera (between 28-30 cm in diameter and approximately 4-5 cm high).
6. with the help of a roller, spread 2/3 parts of the dough to a thickness of about 4 mm. Cover the mold covered everything can be. Prick with a fork and let sit in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 150 °
7. Meanwhile stretch the rest of the dough and form 8 strips 1.5 cm wide
8 remove the refrigerator mold and fill with cream without reaching the rim (leave approximately half cm before reaching the edge). Place the strips of dough a lattice. Chill for two hours in the refrigerator. This is necessary so that the dough does not warp in the oven.
9 bake for an hour and half in air mode warm to 150 °. It is possible to need up to 20 minutes more depending on the oven. The important thing is that when pierced with a toothpick, comes out clean and the cake is golden and not burned. When the cake is ready, open the oven door slightly, turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes
10. remove from oven and let cool in the mould. Let the pastiera without taking at least two days (no, it is not an error, I learned it as well and I do that. Same it can be taken before but with the job having never play the tart I). This time, will allow the flavors to mix. Always store out of the refrigerator. Serve sprinkled powdered sugar.