Italian Easter Cheesecake
Print This Recipe
INGREDIENTS CRUST
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powderFILLING
2 pounds fine Ricotta, do not use cottage cheese
1/4 cup Creme de Cocoa or Rum, (I use rum)
2 cups sugar
1/2 pound chocolate bar, grated fine
Rind of 1 lemon
Rind of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 dozen eggs, YES!, 1 dozen
1 bottle Maraschino cherries, not the large bottle, about 8 ouncesCut flour and shortening as you do to make a pie crust. Add the remaining crust ingredients to make a soft dough. Roll and line a large baking pan, no need to grease the pan, with the dough. (I use a very old 11 x 16-inch grey speckled enamel pan).
Chop cherries. Pour, including juice, into a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and beat with an electric mixer very well. If you don't beat this enough, it will separate during baking and you'll end up with a custard on the bottom of the cake. Immediately pour into unbaked crust, bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Shut oven off - let cool in the oven for approximately 1 hour. This should be refrigerated after cooled.