I Cassateddi (Ricotta Tarts)

These are the easter treats that my grandmother used to make for us kids they were my favorite, I used to ask my grandmother to make them even though it was not easter and of course she did. My kids go crazy for them. 

1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk






for filling


2 cups ricotta
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon (extra cinnamon to sprinkle)
orange zest or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
colored sprinkles candies to decorate

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

In a bowl add the butter half the flour and salt, mix with your hands knead the dough by pulling and compacting to an elastic consistency. Then pour the milk and continue to knead add the remaining flour so it will not be sticky. Dough should not stick to your hands, it should be slightly elasticity.

Let the dough rest, meantime prepare the filling. In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix until the ricotta is smooth. If the ricotta is a little runny you can add a little bit of flour but don't over do it. Now the hardest part: roll out the dough. Divide the dough into small balls and flatten then up to about 3 mm thick. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or alluminum spray the foil with cooking spray. With the help of a cup about 4 inches round, cut round discs, then curl edges to form tarts. I made a ring with the dough smaller then the disc to guide me when I pinch the tarts just keep using the same ring. In order to curl the edges take one end of the disc and pinch with your fingers, so the same with the rest of the dough and line them on the baking sheet.

The ring in the middle that guided me to pinch around then I removed it and used it again for the other tarts.

With a spoon fill them with the ricotta filling but not too much because the filling will rise while they are baking. (The tarts will flatten down with they are overfilled that's what happened to me but they still come out good.) Then sprinkle some with cinnamon and some just plain.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let them cool for a little bit then sprinkle the plain ones with the colored sprinkles candies. 

Note: The first picture above, the tarts are made with the dough that's how my grandmother used to make them and that's the way I like them. The rest of the pictures, they are made with the pillsbury pie crust flattened it and cut circles, my kids like that kind of crust, you can get out the pie crust about 10 tarts.