Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup marsala wine or other sweet wine
• 1/2 cup golden raisin
• 1/2 lb low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 lbs low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 5 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
• 2 teaspoons orange zest, grated
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel, diced (or a mixture of both) or candied lemon peel (or a mixture of both)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions

1. 1

   Pour the Marsala over the raisins in a small bowl and let soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain well.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (The rack should be set in the upper third of the oven.) Bring 1 quart water to a boil. Wrap a piece of foil around the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan.

3. 3

   Puree the ricotta in the food processor, scraping down the sides several times. Add the cream cheese and puree until smooth. Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour, and salt and puree. Add the eggs, egg whites, lemon and orange zest, and vanilla and puree. Toss the raisins and candied orange peel with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl. Add the raisins, candied peel, and pine nuts to the batter and run the machine in short bursts to mix. (Do not puree: you want these ingredients to remain whole.) Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Tap the pan a few times on the work counter to knock out any bubbles.

4. 4

   Set the spring-form pan in a roasting pan in the oven. Add 1 inch boiling water to the roasting pan and bake the cheesecake until set, 40 to 60 minutes. To test for doneness, gently poke the side. When the top no longer jiggles, the cheesecake is cooked. Another test: an inserted skewer will come out clean when the cheesecake is cooked. Do not overcook or the cheesecake will become watery.

5. 5

   Transfer the cheesecake to a cake rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. To serve, run the tip of a small knife around the inside of the pan. Unfasten the sides. Cut into wedges for serving.