Must-make Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe with Graham Cracher Crust (2024)

FAQs

What is Sicilian cheesecake made of? ›

Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

Go with speculoos or crisp ginger snaps for a spicy kick that works well with cheesecake or cream pies, vanilla wafers or animal crackers if you want something more subtle, or chocolate wafers or even Oreo cookies for something dark and chocolate-y.

The main difference between what we would consider typical New York American cheesecake and Italian cheesecake is that in Italy, cheesecake is made with ricotta rather than cream cheese. It is also a bit lighter and dryer, more cakelike and less cloying.

But nothing beats its Italian counterpart–the ricotta cheese-based cheesecake. Lighter in texture, less rich and less sweet than its richer and denser American counterpart, this Sicily-inspired version still has all the decadence and creaminess to satisfy any dessert craving.

Sicily produces three main types of cheese - pecorino, Ragusano, and ricotta. Each of these types have variations as well, often distinguished by how the wheels are treated, and how long they are aged.

Sicilian ricotta is produced fresh from the whey left from making pecorino cheese. With the addition of a small amount of fresh milk, the new liquid is reboiled and thus the word ricotta. This first production is eaten fresh and I mean fresh straight from the boiler.

In the United States, American ricotta is almost always made of cow's milk whey, as opposed to Italian ricotta which is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk.

FAQ: Does Graham Cracker Crust Need to Be Baked? Typically, yes. After shaping into your pan, this crust should be baked, and the amount of time really depends on the recipe you're using, and whether it's a baked or a no-bake filling.

And since they're sold already patted into disposable aluminum pie plates and prebaked, you can skip the blind-baking step usually required to set a homemade graham cracker crust before filling it.

Why is my cheesecake graham cracker crust soggy? ›

We're talking about a soggy crust, which is a heartbreaking thing; this can happen when water from the water bath seeps into the crevices of the springform pan.

The addition of cream gives a velvety, smooth texture, but too much of it and you begin to mask the cream cheese flavor. Sour cream supports the underlying tang of the cream cheese, but, if overdone, it takes over as the dominant flavor. You need a little of each -- cream for texture and sour cream for flavor.

Mascarpone in cheesecakes yields a result similar to cream cheese, but the more distinct Italian take uses ricotta (as did ancient Roman recipes for cheesecake, which also included honey and, often, bay leaves). Ricotta cheesecakes are drier and a bit less creamy, even a little granular.

Strain or blend the cottage cheese if you want the consistency to be closer to ricotta. You cannot, however, use cottage cheese in a cheesecake that requires ricotta.

Brazilian guava cheesecake is a refreshing spin on its American cousin, which typically uses cream cheese and a graham cracker crust. In Brazil, the guava cheesecake uses a dense, salty cheese known as minas gerais. It is paired with a sweet guava paste on top of a crisp, flour-based crust.

Ricotta di Pecora (Sicily)

This soft, creamy, white latticino with a delicate flavor reminiscent of a freshly squeezed milk is widely used in cooking, it works great in both savory and sweet dishes.

Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake.