Mi Huerta Market
By Sarah Chovanetz
A Very Hoppy Easter Pie!
When Easter comes around everything gets brighter, sweeter and people get “hoppier”! It kicks off spring season and gives all of us a fresh start. Cooler weather is starting to subside and sunnier days entice us to get outside by the pool. It’s a great time to be with family and most importantly remember the value of tradition.
During Easter Weekend, family gets together and it turns into laughter, full bellies and an abundance of story time. The best part about it though is the traditional and non-traditional foods that are shared amongst loved ones. People get to explore their taste buds and also dive into the classics like chocolate easter bunnies and marshmallow peeps. We can’t forget about the famous family tradition such as the “Easter Egg Hunt”. Finding those bright colored eggs hidden in the grass only to open it and receive candy or money and feel like you just hit the lottery as a kid. These are the moments life is worth living.
Easter food is just as special. We are sharing this delicious traditional Easter dessert because it is simple yet delicious and perfect for the occasion. The name of it is quite fitting as well; Sweet Easter Pie. Feel free to add some bright colored Easter eggs you dyed yourself or the plastic ones you can buy at the store. The pie itself will taste so good it won’t matter how it looks, but we can’t vouch for the appeal. It is rather plain. Put some Peeps on top and you’re all set!
Sweet Easter Pie
Ingredients
3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons Mi Huerta Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cooked short-grained rice
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
6 sheets fresh phyllo sheets or frozen, thawed
3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Step1: Blend 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, eggs, our vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.
Step2: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step3: Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter.
Step4: Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.
Step5: Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes.
Step6: Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie
Step7: Serve and add the dyed eggs and/or plastic ones with Peeps and let the Easter festivities begin!