Recipe: Lidia's Ricotta Cheesecake (with rum, raisins and pine nuts)

LIDIA'S RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

3 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons dark rum
Softened butter, for pan
Fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs, for pan
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
Grated zest of 1 large orange
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 cup pine nuts

Place ricotta in cheesecloth-lined sieve and place sieve over a bowl. Cover ricotta with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator at least 8 hours up to 1 day.

Combine raisins and rum in small bowl. Soak, tossing occasionally, until raisins are softened and have absorbed most of the rum.

Brush 8-inch springform pan with enough softened butter to coat lightly. Sprinkle bread crumbs over butter to coat generously. Shake out excess crumbs.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar and salt with whisk until pale yellow. Add drained ricotta and zests and beat until blended thoroughly. Beat in cream. With rubber spatula, fold in nuts and raisins and rum, blending well.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer or wire whisk until they form firm peaks when beater is lifted from them.

Add about 1/4 of egg whites to ricotta mixture and gently stir them in. Add remaining egg whites and fold them in, using a large rubber spatula to scrape batter from bottom of bowl up and over whites. Pour cake mixture into prepared pan.

Bake until cake is golden brown on top and set in center, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool cake completely before removing sides of pan.

Serve cake at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Lidia's Italian American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich