Italian Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 3 tablespoons anisette or kirsch or blackberry brandy
• 1/3 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, zest of
• 1 orange, zest of
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup pine nuts

Directions

1. 1

   Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and drain over a bowl for about 8 hours. Squeeze out excess liquid.

2. 2

   Combine raisins and liquor in a small bowl, tossing occasionally until the raisins have absorbed most of the liquid. Be sure to save the liquid.

3. 3

   Brush a 9-inch springform pan with enough butter to coat lightly. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and shake out the excess. Prehead the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

4. 4

   In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk until pale yellow. Add the drained ricotta, lemon and orange zest and beat until blended thoroughly. Beat in the cream. With a rubber spatula, fold in the pine nuts and the raisins with the liquor, blending well.

5. 5

   Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form firm peaks. Fold about 1/4 of the egg whites to the ricotta mixture. Add the remaining egg whites, using a rubber spatula to scrape the batter from the bottom of the bowl up over the whites. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden brown on top and set in the center, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Cool the cake completely before removing the sides of the pan. The cake may be served either at room temperature or chilled.