SICILIAN EASTER PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place raisins in a small saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook over low heat or 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
• To Make Dough: In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg yolk. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball. Wrap with plastic and let rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• In a medium saucepan, combine cooked rice, milk, orange zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is creamy and thick. Remove from heat. Mix in ricotta cheese, 3 egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, cooked raisins and cinnamon. Stir in vanilla and orange flower water.
• In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
• Roll out 3/4 of the pastry dough into an 11 inch circle and line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Pour filling into dough. Roll out remaining 1/4 of the dough into a 10 inch circle and cut into lattice strips. Criss-cross the strips over the filling. Seal the lattice strips to the bottom pastry.
• Bake in preheated oven for an hour, or until pastry is golden brown. Cool at room temperature for about 5 hours.