Pastiera

This is one of the most famous of all Neapolitan pastries. It used to be an Easter specialty but nowadays Pastiera can be purchased in a bakery anytime of the year. It is a typical ricotta cheesecake type filling distinguished by an addition of soaked, hulled, whole wheat berries. This can be found in Italian markets around Easter, and in some health food stores all year (but be careful not to buy unhulled wheat which never softens as much as is necessary to make a pleasant texture). Because the wheat can be difficult to find, this recipe calls for pearled barley as an alternative. The barley gives a similar texture, but the flavor is not nutty, like the wheat. Still, it makes an excellent pastry. When Neapolitans arrived in North America - and until fairly recently it - it was impossible to find the wheat, and may of the Italian-American recipes that have been handed down do indeed call for rice or barley, as even some of old Neapolitan recipes do.

Makes 1 10 1/2 "-inch-diameter or a 9-by 13- by 2-inch cake

3 cups bleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 14 tablespoon (7 ounces) butter, at room temperature

4 eggs yolks, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind.

15 ounces whole milk ricotta, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon orange flower water (available in Italian or Middle East markets), 1/2 cup finely minced candied orange, citron and lemon peel, 6 eggs, separated (reserve 4 whites), 1/3 cup hulled wheat, soaked for 12 hours and boiled in lightly salted water for 40 minutes, until tender, or 1/4 cup pearl barley, boiled until tender, about 30 minutes, confectioners sugar to sprinkle on the pie.

1) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Mix well

2) With a pastry blender or with 2 forks mix in the soft butter. The mixture should resemble coarse meal. Add the egg yolks and lemon rind

and stir to moisten the butter/flour mixture. Clumps of dough will start to form. The dough should not be overworked. Sprinkle ice

water over the dough, a tablespoon at a time, as necessary to form larger clumps.

3) Place the dough on to a lightly floured work surface. Knead it just enough to form it into a cohesive, soft and yellow dough. Shape it

into a loaf about 9 inches long. Wrap it in a clean, wet and squeezed out dish towel. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, sugar, cinnamon, orange flower water, and candied peels. Whisk in the egg yolks,

mix in the drained wheat or barley.

2) In a clean mixing bowl, beat 4 egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them into the barley mixture.

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place a sheet of wax paper about 20 inches long on a work surface. Dust it with flour and place 2/3 of the dough on top. Flatten with

a floured rolling pin and cover it with another sheet of wax paper. Roll it into a rectangle that will fit the bottom and sides of a baking

pan - about 13 by 16 inches and 1/4 inch thick.

3) Peel off the top sheet of paper and turn the pastry into the pan. Peel off the remaining sheet of paper while fitting it into the pan. Trim

off the excess dough with a sharp knife. The dough may break in the process, but it is very easy to patch.

4) If using a springform pan, roll the dough in a circle at least 18 inches in diameter - large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 10 to

10 1/4 inch diameter pan.

5) Pour the filling into the pastry - lined pan.

6) Roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle 9 by 13 inches and 3/8 inch thick. Cut it into 3/4 inch - wide diagonal strips. Arrange

strips diagonally and very loosely over the filling and over the side of the baking pan. Arrange the remaining strips in the opposite

direction, to form a lattice top. Again, if the strips break, they patch easily and you will sprinkling the finished cake with confectioners’

sugar anyway.

7) Trim off the excess pastry and, using a table fork, pinch the ends of the lattice strips to the pastry lining.

8) Bake in the middle of the oven for one hour, or until a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. If using a springform, bake it on a

baking sheet, turn the Pastiera half way through baking to ensure even cooking. The filling will puff up during baking and retract when

it cools. It will turn a nutty brown, while the lattice top will turn only a shade of beige.

9) Let the cake cool through thoroughly, then refrigerate it for at least 12 hours. The Pastiera should be served dusted with confectioners’

sugar and at room temperature.