Ricotta Tarts (Sicily)

Desserts

Ingredients

Compressed yeast - 1 cake

All purpose flour - 4 cups

Granulated sugar - 1 1/8 cups

Salt - pinch

Juice of 1 lemon

Ricotta or cottage cheese - 1 pound

Eggs - 2

Ground cinnamon

Butter for baking sheet

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Sift the flour into a bowl with 4 tsps of the sugar and the salt. Add the lemon juice and the yeast. Mix to a dough, adding more warm water if necessary. The dough should be rather stiff. Knead vigourously until smooth. Return it to the bowl and leave to rise for at least 1 hour.

Beat the ricotta in a bowl until smooth, add the eggs and beat until blended. Beat in the remaining sugar and cinnamon to taste. Turn up the edges all around to make little cases with a border, and line with a narrow strip of dough to strengthen them. Fill each case with some of the ricotta mixture and place on a buttered baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven (450F) for about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve hot or cold.