Pear, Raspberry and Ricotta torta recipe

ciao tutti!  the Little Cellar Rat  promised and now the Little Cellar Rat delivers!

Pear, Raspberry and Ricotta Torta                             * 180 ° C    *Baking tin 21 cm

• 130 g melted, unsalted butter
• 1 scant cup caster sugar
• 1 dessertspoon honey
• 2 eggs
• 180 g fresh ricotta
• zest 2 lemons or limes
• 1 and 2/3 cups SR flour (GF is fine)
• 1 large pear (or 2 small pears) leave skin on, cored, chopped
• 8 fresh raspberries (if you’ve got them on hand)
• squirt of vanilla paste
• pinch salt

 

1. Zest citrus into small bowl.
2. Core + cube pears, add to zest and give pears a squeeze of citrus juice.
3. In a small bowl, use a fork to break up ricotta.
4. Butter and line tin with baking paper.

 

Using a whisk combine butter, sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla, salt  until creamy.

Stir in ricotta and combine gently.

Add flour and mix gently.  Dough might look curdled but that’s ok.

Lastly add pears/citrus mix and combine gently.

Spoon into tin and arrange raspberries in a circle, pushing down slight into cake mixture.

Cake takes about 50 – 60 mins to bake.  If browning too much on the top, put folded brown paper and turn oven back a little.

Serve with a dusting of icing sugar, some pouring cream and a big smile of satisfaction!

With fresh fruit in this torta, you will need to refrigerate it…. if it last that long!!

 

VARIATION –    if you don’t have ricotta:

Substitute 2 generous tablespoons of Greek natural yoghurt

+ ½ – ¾ cup ground almonds.  This tends to be a little crumbly but it’s still delicious.

Caution:  Don’t be tempted to overdo the pears as that really adds to the baking time  and the ricotta tends to become a little tough.

Buon appetito!