Name: Grain and Ricotta Pie
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh or packaged whole-milk ricotta; 2 cups granulated sugar; 4 large egg yolks; Grated zest of 1 lemon; 2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter or shortening, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature; 4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups hulled wheat kernels; 4 cups milk; 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 3 large eggs; 2 large egg yolks; 2 teaspoons orange water*; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup candied lemon or orange peel, cut into 1/4-inch dice; Confectioners' sugar; Orange-flour water is made by distilling orange oil. It is available in specialty food stores and Middle Eastern groceries.

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Pastiera Napoletana

If you can't find hulled whole-wheat kernels (sometimes sold as "pastry wheat"), substitute barley, skip the soaking, and cook as described below, but for only about 30 minutes. Whole wheat kernels — grano in Italian — are used for this traditional Neapolitan dessert that became a mainstay in Italian-American restaurants and bakeries. In Italy, cooked whole-wheat kernels can be found in cans; if you spot some, it will make this recipe a little simpler.

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