Greek Honey Ricotta Pie (Melopita)

Ingredients

• 2.5 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (Plus more for the workspace; the crust recipe makes 2 dough discs, but only 1 is needed for the pie.)
• 0.5 tsp Salt (For the pie crust)
• 1 tbsp Sugar (Optional; for the pie crust)
• 8 oz Unsalted butter (Cold and cubed; for the pie crust)
• 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar (For the pie crust)
• 0.5 cup Cold water or milk (Use only as much as needed; up to ¾ cup may be required for the dough.)
• 1 Egg (For the egg wash)
• 2 cup Soft myzithra cheese or whole-milk ricotta (Strained if packed in water)
• 0.5 cup Honey (Wild blossom honey is preferred)
• 3 Eggs (Room temperature; for the filling)
• 1 tbsp Corn flour or cornstarch (For thickening the filling)
• 0.5 tsp Salt (For the filling)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (Vanilla paste or a scraped vanilla bean may be substituted.)
• 1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon (For the filling)
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice (Freshly squeezed is best; 1 teaspoon lemon zest may also be added for more lemon flavor.)
• Honey (Extra for serving and garnish)
• Ground cinnamon (Extra for dusting before serving)
• Honeycomb (Optional garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the gluten-free flour and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.

2. 2

   Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, with larger pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

3. 3

   Drizzle in the apple cider vinegar and half of the water. Pulse a few times until the dough begins to come together and looks shaggy. Pinch some dough between your fingers; if it holds together, it is ready. If not, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, without exceeding the remaining ¼ cup.

4. 4

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Divide it into 2 equal pieces and form each piece into a flat disc. Wrap one disc tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze it for later use; thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator.

5. 5

   Place one dough disc between sheets of wax or parchment paper. Flatten it with your palm, cover it with the second sheet, and roll it to the desired size. Remove the top sheet, invert the dough into a pie pan, and peel away the remaining sheet.

6. 6

   Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Refrigerate it for 30–60 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight. The prepared crust may also be frozen in the pie plate for up to 3 months.

7. 7

   Preheat the oven to 400°F.

8. 8

   Line the crust with parchment paper or foil and fill it with pie weights.

9. 9

   Par-bake the crust at 400°F for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven, remove the parchment or foil and pie weights, and brush the bottom and edges with the egg wash. Set the crust aside to cool while preparing the filling.

10. 10

    Place the room-temperature eggs and honey in a large bowl. Whisk, or beat with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, until well blended and pale in color.

11. 11

    Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon, and mix until combined.

12. 12

    Add the ricotta or myzithra cheese and mix until the filling is smooth.

13. 13

    Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Pour the filling into the par-baked pie crust.

14. 14

    Carefully transfer the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 25–35 minutes, until the filling is just set and the center still has a slight jiggle. The top should be deeply golden. Cover the edges with foil or use a pie crust shield if they brown too quickly.

15. 15

    Cool the pie completely on a wire rack for 1–2 hours before slicing.

16. 16

    Serve with a generous drizzle of extra honey and a dusting of cinnamon. Honeycomb may be added as an optional garnish.

Notes

The recipe yields two gluten-free pie dough discs; use one for this pie and freeze the other for later. The author recommends chilling the finished pie for cleaner slices and better texture. Store covered and refrigerated for 3–5 days, with best flavor and texture within 1–2 days. The source also notes that the filling can be made crustless in a well-greased 8-inch springform pan: bake at 350°F for 40–50 minutes, cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the collar and cool completely. A shot of brandy may be added to the filling for extra flavor.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• Greek
• baked
• pie
• gluten-free
• vegetarian
• make-ahead
• cheesecake-style