Greeted at the front door by Evelyn Penza, we stood in front of some 20 freshly baked pies and discussed the history of her grandfather's farm, her career as a public school teacher; her pride in Hammonton blueberries and her homemade pie business. She served me a slice of apple-blueberry pie with a dollop of whipped cream as she explained the two-year experimentation process resulting in one of the most delicious pies I've ever eaten. She would not disclose the secret recipe, but she was willing to share this one. (She doesn't use the Grand Marnier in the pie she sells at her bakery but she thought it might be a great addition.)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light cream
- 3 generous cups ricotta
- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 1 prepared 10-inch pie crust
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the cream and ricotta and beat again until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the orange rind, lemon juice, flour; salt, Grand Marnier; and blueberries.
Pour into the pie crust and bake for I hour Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (You may have some filling left over for another small pie)
About this recipe
Editor’s Note: Evelyn Penza shared this recipe with EJ writer Frank Mentesana in 2007. Mentesana is coauthor of Once Upon a Tart (Knopf2003) and founding0director of EcoSpaces Education, a program that brings Food Literacy Education to inner city children through cooking, gardening, healthy eating and exercise.
