Directions

1. DAY 1 – First Step grain filling.
2. In a 6 qt pot, add the jar of Grano Cotto, milk and butter. Cook on the lowest heat setting of your stove for about 2 -4 hours. Stir frequently to avoid burning bottom. Do not let the milk curdle. The mixture should be thick & creamy and the grain extremely soft. (On the lowest burner setting it was still too hot so we put an additional stove grill on top of the cooking burner and it was just right to prevent the milk from curdling, see pictures below.)
3. Add additional milk if it dries out before the grains are soft.
4. Once the grain mixture is done, pour in a bowl and cool. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
5. Day 2 – Make the Dough
6. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add flour, vanilla, salt, sugar and orange zest. Mix to combine well.
7. Add the cold butter, shortening and mix until it looks combined. You should see little pieces of butter & shortening not mixed throughout.
8. Add the eggs and mix until the dough starts to come together.
9. While the mixer is still running, add 1 Tablespoon of ice water at a time until the dough starts to form a ball.
10. Dump out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a round ball then cut into 2 equal portions.
11. Roll each piece into a round ball until smooth. Cut 1/3 off each dough ball (use a scale to weigh each for accuracy). You should end up with 2 large dough balls and 2 small dough balls. Wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap then slightly flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for about an hour.
12. Day 2 – Make Part 2 of the Grain Filling (Ricotta Filling)
13. Using the whisk attachment, place the drained ricotta into the large bowl of your standing mixer. Add the sugar and eggs. Whisk until smooth, a few minutes on the low setting.
14. Add the cooled grain mixture and continue to mix a few minutes until well incorporated.
15. Lastly, add the citron, cinnamon, and Fiori di Sicilia. Mix on low until blended. Set aside until ready to fill pie pan.
16. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter two 9-inch metal pie pans and set aside.
17. Work with one of the larger dough balls at a time and roll out onto a floured surface to about 12 inches round. Place over one of the metal pie pans; make sure the dough is hanging over the pan edge.
18. Fill the dough with half of the grain & ricotta filling but do not overfill. The filling should be about 1/2 inch below pan ridge. The filling rises quite a bit during baking.
19. Lightly apply water around the rim of the pie dough. This will seal the dough to the strips in the next step.
20. Using the small balls of dough, roll out onto a floured surface then cut strips about 1 inch wide. Lay them across diagonally to form a diamond pattern.
21. Using the overhanging dough, pull up & over the strips & press to seal. Place completed pie on a large baking sheet and repeat the same process for the second pie.
22. Bake approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or a little longer. The filling should be set, not jiggle. The crust should be golden brown. If the edges brown faster than the top, cover edges with foil.
23. When done, remove from oven and let pies cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
24. Day 3 – Remove pie from the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a great cup of coffee or espresso.