Easter Pastry Cream Pie

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup cooked short-grained rice
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 6 sheets fresh phyllo sheets or frozen, thawed
  • 3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Blend 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.

Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie and serve.

Pecan Apple Pie

Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time:  50 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
  • TOPPING:
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions

  1. Line two 9-in. pie plates with pastry. Trim and flute edges; set aside. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt; add apples and toss to coat. Pour into pastry shells.
  2. For the topping, combine brown sugar, flour and oats; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly. Sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on wire racks.

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