Pastiera di Grano – Easter Wheat Pie – Rossella’s Cooking with Nonna

Pastiera di Grano is a traditional Easter wheat pie that originated in Naples, Italy. It is a sweet and aromatic dessert that is perfect for celebrating the Easter holiday with family and friends. In this article, we will be sharing the recipe for this delicious dessert based on Rossella’s Cooking with Nonna.

Ingredients:

– 1lb of cooked wheat berries (grano cotto)
– 2 and 1/2 cups of whole milk
– 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
– 1 and 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
– 1 tablespoon of orange zest
– 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
– 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
– 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
– 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
– 6 eggs
– 1 lb of pre-made pastry dough
– Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, mix cooked wheat berries, milk, and 1/4 cup of butter.

3. Place the bowl with the wheat mixture over a pot of boiling water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Keep stirring the mixture until the milk has been completely absorbed by the wheat berries, and the mixture becomes creamy.

4. Take the bowl off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

5. In another bowl, beat sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup of butter until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

6. Add in orange zest, lemon zest, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, and cinnamon. Mix everything together.

7. Add eggs into the sugar mixture and beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

8. Fold the egg mixture into the wheat mixture, and mix everything together.

9. Roll out the pre-made pastry dough and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with the pastry dough.

10. Pour the wheat mixture into the pan.

11. Cut the remaining pastry dough into strips and arrange them in a lattice pattern across the top of the pan.

12. Bake the pie for 50-60 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

13. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool.

14. Once cooled, sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top of the pie.

Summary:

– Pastiera di Grano is a traditional Easter wheat pie originally from Naples, Italy.
– The ingredients include cooked wheat berries, milk, unsalted butter, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, cinnamon, eggs, pre-made pastry dough, and confectioners’ sugar.
– To make the pie, you must cook the wheat mixture, and then mix the sugar, egg batter into the wheat mixture.
– Prepare the pie pan with pastry dough, then pour the wheat mixture into the pan, and cover it with lattice dough.
– Bake the pie for 50-60 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
– Let it cool before garnishing.