Ricotta Pie

Pie Crust:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp. shortening
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup hot water

Melt shortening in hot water, add sugar and mix well.
Add salt and flour, continue to mix and form a ball of dough.
Cover with a towel and let rest.
Roll out dough to cover pie plate and crimp the edges.
With the extra dough pieces, roll out strips to form a lattice top.

Filling:

3 lbs. ricotta
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. lemon rind, grated
6 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
10" pie plate, 2" deep


Cream ricotta, sugar and eggs with a mixer until well blended.
Add vanilla and lemon rind. Pour into the crust-lined pie plate.
Bake in preheated oven at 350° for one hour.
Turn oven off and let set for 15 minutes.
Remove and cool.
Dust with confectioner's sugar to serve.

Variation:

Add 1 tsp. orange rind, grated, and two tbsp. each of lemon and orange juice to
ricotta mixture.

Variation:

Omit lemon rind. Add 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 cup diced citron, 1 oz. grated chocolate or
1/4 cup chocolate bits and 1/4 cup chopped Maraschino cherries.

Variation:

Add 2 tbsp. each of lemon and orange rind, grated, and 1 tsp. vanilla.