Uncle Larry's Cheesecake and Ricotta Pie

Two Cheesecake Recipes Uncle Larry's Cheesecake

From: Carolyn D'Agostino
Date: Sun Dec 24, 2000

Here are two cheesecake recipes, the first from my uncle (which is very good), the second, an Italian cheesecake that I prefer, from my Irish mother in law, who cooks like an Italian having been married to one for nearly 60 years.

Uncle Larry's Cheesecake :

Crust:
One cup graham cracker crumbs
one stick of butter, melted

Press into a buttered spring form pan (he doesn't specify what size, but I'd go with a 9 inch).

Cheesecake:

6 eggs
a 16 oz container of sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tblspn vanilla extract
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese
Mix above ingredients well with mixer or food processor.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake cheesecake for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Turn oven off and open door one inch from top of oven. Allow cake to set for one hour. Remove from oven, cover with foil and put in refrigerator overnight.

Here is my favorite cheesecake recipe, quite a bit different from the standard, but it is lighter and much easier to make. This is not the revolting Italian cheesecake with candied fruit (blech), this one is verysimple, yet extremely delicious and creamy. Great for vanilla purists, if you use some really good vanilla extract.

Ricotta Pie

Pie pastry for one pie crust (homemade is best, but store bought is okay in a pinch). I like to prebake the pie pastry in a 375 oven for about 10 minutes first. Line the inside with foil, and use pie weights or dried beans to hold it down.

1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups ricotta, preferably the whole milk variety, though you can use part skim if fat conscious, but the pie will not be quite as creamy
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggsv 1 cup milk or use half cream and half milk

Mix all of the above in mixer or processor, pour into pie shell. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 350, shake on a small amount of nutmeg (don't use alot), and bake an additional 15 minutes. Chill thoroughly before serving. This pie is delicious with a fruit compote on the side.

Carolyn