Southern Italian Grain Pie

This is a traditional Easter Pie that has been massaged and and turned into many variations. Why ? Because it can be. You can allow your imagination to run wild if you have a hankering to do so. The one I will describe is a real Italian Grain Pie that has not been turned into something that ends up as far from a grain pie as you can get it to be. This is a real "fatto in casa" Pizza di Grano. Simple and easy with no machinations.

Pizza di Grano or Grain Pie      Enjoy!

Ingredients for filling

1lb of cooked wheat
1lb can of Riccotta
18 egg yolks
  9 egg whites
candied citron, If you can get it. If not the peels of lemons or oranges will do. Or you can purchase it
1 glass of liquor  I like Ameretto.
2 cups of Confectionery Sugar

Mix together the wheat, sugar and Ricotta. Then add egg yolks and egg whites and fold in well. Put in the candied citron and glass of liquor.

Ingredients for pastry

3/4 cups of sweet butter
3 eggs
2 1/3 all purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
Peel of 1 lemon grated

Mix flour, sugar and zest in a bowl. Work butter into the mix until it all becomes like little pearls. Then add eggs one at a time. Knead dough until it clears the bowl cleanly. Make into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and place in frig to chill
How to make citron or candied fruit pieces
In a sauce pan put about 2 inches of water and a quantity of sugar that will defuse into the water. Boil diced peels and let boil until water has evaporated and the peels become soft and translucent..

Split the dough ball equally. Roll out to about a 1/4 inch makes two 9 inch pies. Cut off excess and use for cross hatching lattice of pie. If you are not going to cross hatch then utilize the excess to flute the edges of the pie.

Pour in or spoon in the filling mixture leaving about it about 1/4 inch shy from the top. Place in pre-heated oven at 350 f. and cook for 45 min. to an hour. Until crust is brown and filling looks set and slightly browned. Let cool and serve chilled.