NONNA’S SOFT RICOTTA & PEARS CAKE

Mouth-watering cake composed of a soft first layer wrapped in a soft ricotta cream enriched with pears.

Quick and easy to prepare, it will be perfect at any time of day. It will fill your home with an irresistible scent!
For best storage I recommend storing it once cold in a glass pie dish or plastic bag otherwise the base under containing butter will dry.

YIELD: Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of all purpose flour
¹/4 cup of almond meal
5/8 cup of cold butter
3/8 cup of sugar
20 ml milk
1 yolk
pinch salt
icing sugar as needed

For The Filling:

2 cups of strained ricotta
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 medium pears

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DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the flour, almond meal, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to combine. Add the butter cut into cubes.

2.Mix the butter into the flour mixture so that it resembles bread crumbs.

3. Add the yolk and the milk. Only mix with finger tips, otherwise too much kneading could alter the taste of the pastry. Mix to form a soft smooth ball. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. Prepare The Filling: Place the ricotta in a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar.

5. Mix to combine, add in the vanilla and cinnamon powder. Mix together with a fork or whisk.

6. Peel and cut the pears in small cubes. Add to the ricotta mixture.

7. Mix properly to combine.

8. Take the chilled crostata shell out of the refrigerator. Roll it in two circles. Take one of the circles and carefully place it in a baking pan lined with greaseproof paper. Make sure to press the sides of the crostata against the walls of the pan.