Pass the Cassata

I woke up the Saturday before Easter on a mission. My mission was to recreate an old family recipe passed down from my great grandfather. I'm sad to say I never knew him in my life, however in pictures we share a similar Sicilian face with that long nose "I'm blessed with". I am told stories from both sides of my family about how he was a great chef, restaurant owner and talented entertainer. Great Grandpa G could turn heads singing and dancing his way through a night at one of his restaurants, like Bing Crosby meets Frank Sinatra (in my mind). Old charm at its finest.

The family recipe I was determined to conquer is called: Cassata, an Italian style cheesecake.  It's a creamy, cheesy cake with a lot of ricotta and eggs that is probably about a bazillion calories per bite. However, it's one of my Easter Sunday favorites, delicious served cold and pairs well with a spiral ham if you ask me. I just felt like I had to do it. Also recently engaged, I wanted to bring something over to my fiance's family that was special to my own.

Easter for me, like many Italian children was always fun, thanks to the Easter bunny hoax. Flashback to 1990: My sister and I are getting dressed up in matching floral dresses, Mary Jane's and pastel headbands. We dress like its June, but as we walk out into crisp air on our way to Easter mass we step through piles of snow melting on the grass. When we get home we ignore all chocolate and throw down a package of yellow peeps, each.  After we are full of marshmallow, there's dinner and  Cassata was always on my family's table. The table which was adorned in pastel colors, with a fresh lamb butter mold and so much food it's brought out from the kitchen in waves. (Lamb butter examples)

This year (21 years later) Cassata is traveling with me to my fiance's Irish/Portuguese family.  After fighting back a migraine to complete my mission to make this beast of cake and 3 hours later (total) here is what came out of the oven.

Bam! There you go, just like that you follow some simple instructions and you can recreate a recipe your great grandparents made in the 40's. The above is the final product. After tasting a few small bites (I mean slices) I'd say I came pretty darn close to what has been served to me in Easter's past. Maybe Great Grandpa G and I have more in common than a long nose.... I also have a killer singing voice.

Cassata (Easter Cheesecake)

Ingredients for Crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 lb. butter
1/2 tsp.cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp. baking powder

Filling:
8 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 lbs. fine ricotta
Juice of 1 lemon
2 ozs. candied citron fruit (I skip this)
2 ozs. chocolate chips, semi sweet
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/4 cup cherry juice

Prep Crust:
Mix flour, cinnamon, sugar and baking powder. Cut butter into mix as for pie pastry. Add milk slowly, kneading with hands. Flour hands, lightly knead dough. Refrigerate for at least one hour if possible.

Roll out three-quarters of pastry dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Butter the spring form pan and line with pastry dough, making sure that pastry lies firms against the sides.

Prep filling:
In a large bowl, whip the eggs until frothy. Add sugar, lemon juice, cherry juice, chopped cherries, chocolate chips, and citron, stirring while adding. Add the fine ricotta, continue whipping until thoroughly blended. Pour filling into pan. Roll remaining dough and cut into one-inch strips. Place on top of the filling. Trim edges if needed.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake on lower rack for one hour until firmly set. Cool and serve. This recipe is for a 12-inch spring form pan.