Ingredients
12 eggs
500g white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.4 kg ricotta cheese
60g miniature semisweet chocolate chips, or to taste
500g all-purpose flour
200g white sugar
25g baking powder
115g chilled shortening
15g chilled shortening
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
15ml milk
Directions
Step 1
First, gather all the ingredients.
Step 2
To make the filling, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Then, stir in the ricotta cheese and chocolate chips, and set aside.
Step 3
For the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in the chilled shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the beaten eggs and vanilla. Divide the dough into 4 balls, wrap them in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 165°C. Grease two 9-inch deep-dish pie plates. Roll out two dough balls and line the bottom and sides of each prepared pie plate. Roll out the remaining two dough balls into 25cm circles. Cut them into 1.25cm strips with a sharp paring knife or pastry wheel.
Step 5
Pour the ricotta filling evenly into the pie crusts. Starting with the longest strips of dough, lay the first 2 in an X in the center of the pie. Alternate horizontal and vertical strips, weaving them in an over-and-under pattern. Use the shortest strips for the edges of the lattice. Fold the ends of the lattice strips under the edge of the bottom crust and flute the crust. Brush the lattice top with milk. Arrange foil on the edges of the crust.
Step 6
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Then, remove the foil and rotate the pies on the rack for even baking. Continue to bake until a knife inserted in the center of each pie comes out clean, which should take another 25-30 minutes. Once done, cool the pies completely on wire racks and refrigerate until serving.