Ricotta cheese is one of those items that most conect it to the lushes filling between lasagna noodles. But for many cultures it also has a rich history as add-in or star to everything from pancakes , pasta to dips and even sweet endings. This dish resembles the marriage of a custardy like cheesecake sandwiched between layers of a simple crumble. 

Ricotta Cheese Crumble

Ricotta filling:

• 2 cups ricotta cheese (drained)
• 7 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 lemons, zested ( you can also substitute with oranges)

Crumb cover and base:

• 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 7 Tbsp sugar
• 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon, zested

Preparations

1. Preheat the oven to 350F°/180C°.
2. Line with parchment paper and butter a 9” springform pan
   
3. To make the ricotta filling, place in a medium bowl the filling items and gently blend together with a fork.
   
4. To make the crumb , place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and using your fingers, rub the egg and the oil into the flour, zest and sugar to make a crumb-like mixture
5. Using about ⅔ of the crumbs, make the cake bottom and edges, lightly shape up the sides to make a ridge. You don’t need to compress it tight
6. Pour the filling into the this crumble shell, then top with a sprinkle the crumble mixture
   
7. Bake for 30-40  minutes until lightly golden.
   
8. Let it cool at room temperature, and served dusted with icing sugar

Note: You can use any combination of citrus with this crumble. You can also add chopped pistachios to the top layer of the crumb for some extra crunch.