Easter Grain Pie

The first Easter I spent with Jane’s family, April 11th, 1966, her Mom made Easter Grain Pie for dessert. It was love at first bite! We have made it each year since then. It is a true Italian Specialty that even Italian bakeries shy away from making.

In simple terms it is a ricotta cheesecake with wheat berries. The complexities of the crust and filling with all the fresh fruit flavors are sublime. The crust is a cookie crust with eggs and fresh orange zest. The filling is made with cooked Wheat berries and ricotta cheese with orange and lemon zest, a dozen eggs and lemon juice. Like Easter Bread it is traditionally made at Easter time.

This is a 2 - 10 inch pie recipe that is worth the time and effort because it does freeze well and is delicious when thawed in the refrigerator and eaten weeks later. So for those bakers who want a challenge for a new creation to add to your repertoire of rare desserts let’s begin.

Video

Recipe

Always read ingredients and preparation instructions TWICE before you start!

PREPARATIONS: 1 hour on day one for cooking the grain and four hours on day two for crust, filling and baking
COOK TIME: 1 hour and 30 minutes
SERVINGS: Each pie can easily serve 16, but they will want seconds and some to take home
EPISODE: 005

Ingredients: Grain

• 1 cup wheat berries soaked overnight
• 2 cups water
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup sugar

Ingredients: Crust

• 4 cups flour (we use unbleached)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup of Crisco
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 6 large eggs – can use extra large eggs
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup of sugar

Ingredients: Ricotta cheese filling

• 12 large eggs – can use extra large eggs
• 3 lbs whole milk ricotta
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
• zest of 2 lemons
• zest of 3 oranges
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced

Preparation: Grain

1. Soak grain overnight
2. Drain grain and cook with water, cinnamon, nutmeg, zest of 1 orange and sugar till tender about 1 hour or more
3. Drain and set aside until cooled and needed for filling

Preparation: Crust

1. In a large mixer add Crisco, margarine and sugar, mix until smooth
2. Add eggs one at a time to the mixture
3. Put baking powder in flour, mix and add to the mixer a little at a time until dough is formed
4. Cut dough in half and roll out each half to fit a ten inch pie plate
5. Cut excess off and save for lattice work
6. Set pie plate aside and mix filling

Note: you should roll dough out on a cloth backing with a cloth shield on your rolling pin. The dough is very soft and pliable and patching is simple.

Preparation: Pie Filling

1. Cream together in a mixer 1 cup of sugar, ricotta cheese and 1 tsp. of vanilla
2. Add milk, orange and lemon zest and the juice of 1/2 a lemon
3. In another bowl whisk together 12 eggs until lemon yellow, add 1 cup of sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla and mix well
4. Add egg mixtures to ricotta mixture and combine
5. Lastly add the grain

Preparation: Filling the pie crust and lattice work

1. With a ladle stir and ladle a scoop of pie filling at a time into each crust. This way you will have an equal amount of filling and grain into each pie. The 10 inch pie plate will be filled to the top.
2. With the extra dough roll out into a large rectangle and cut 10 strip about 3/4 of an inch for each pie
3. If you only have enough dough to roll out 16 strips that is fine but the dough is very pliable and will stretch.
4. I used to interweave the lattice work and you can do it but it is easier to place one in the middle and put two on each side. Turn the pie 90 degrees and do the same – watch the video
5. Flute the edges of the pie as seen in the video.
6. Watch the video so you can see how I make two pie collars so as the pie bakes it does not push the crust over the pie plate because the ricotta cheese filling will rise above the crust in the center.
7. Brush with egg wash carefully especially the lattice work.
8. Place in the middle of your oven on 325° F (162° C) and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours Anything about sticking a tooth pick n or anything or no jiggle etc.

Extras

This recipe is a challenge! It is also not a quick recipe that is why it is called EASTER Grain Pie because it was made once a year. Our Grand-adults ask, “Grandma why don’t you make it more often” and Grandma states ‘Easter Grain Pie”.