In the western part of the Cyclades islands, you will find the island of Sifnos. I’ve been there twice and one their specialties is Melopita (translated as honey pie). It’s made with ricotta, honey, some vanilla, eggs and baked. By the way…it’s a crustless pie.
When the pie cools and it’s time to serve…a nice drizzle of Greek honey and a dusting of cinnamon completes this easy-to-make and yummy dessert.
Pre-heat your oven to 325F. Into a bowl, add the strained ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla and honey and use a hand mixer to whip the ingredients together for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time and then the corn starch and mix until incorporated.
Grease a 7-inch round pan with oil or cooking spray and place a fitted piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.
Pour your filling into the pan, tap a couple of times and place in the middle rack of your oven and bake for approx. 50 minutes or until the center has just set (jiggles a little). Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
To serve, place a plate on top of the pie and carefully invert (the pie should now be inverted on your plate.
Cut into 8 pieces and serve with drizzled honey and ground cinnamon.
Notes
Ricotta Cheese means recooked and it’s made from the whey leftover from making another cheese. In Greece it’s called anthotyro or fresh mizythra. At the market, buy a good quality ricotta that is thick otherwise you may have to strain it for a couple of hours in the fridge by placing in in a sieve.
While your daily tasks are different from that generation, you’re busy and one pot cooking is going to help you in the kitchen! Read book details. Barnes & Noble book purchases here.
