Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cookie crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
Filling:
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup yogurt
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
Whipped cream with fresh blueberries (or blueberry jam)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine graham cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a springform pan (One can use the bottom of a glass to flatten the mixture).
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until they are stiff.
In a separate bowl combine, ricotta, yogurt, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
Fold in beaten egg whites in cheese mixture.
Pour mixture over crust.
Bake in 350 degrees F oven for about 50 minutes (Top should be golden and the center of the pie should be be firm.).
Cool before removing from pan.
Keep in fridge until ready to serve.
Before serving decorate with whipped cream and fresh blueberries (If fresh blueberries are not in season, decorate with blueberry jam).
Notes
Years ago a friend gave me this recipe for ricotta cheesecake. Sometimes the recipe turns out really well, and sometimes it doesn't. When it works well, it's wonderful, and when the cooked cheesecake falls flat, then it's a bit of disappointment. Why it works sometimes, and it doesn't work at other times mystifies me.... To my mind any cheesecake recipe that includes ricotta has to be Italian in origin, but food historians would probably not agree. Photo: by the contributor. |
