PASTRY

CHEESE FILLING
500g ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp rum
120g powdered sugar
56g chocolate, coarsely grated.
120g pistachios, coarsely chopped
60g candied lemon peel or orange peel
Candied cherries.

1. For pastry, in a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, coffee and salt. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients. Add butter, egg yolk and enough Marsala to make a firm but not dry dough. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares. Using a rolling pin, round off 2 opposite corners of each square. Lightly moisten non-rounded edges of pastry square. Place a pastry square around a cannoli tube, joining the non-rounded corners; press to securely seal. Pastries will come off easily if tubes are oiled.

3. In a deep skillet or saucepan, heat oil. Fry pastries in hot oil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil. Drain well. Cool slightly, then remove metal tube. Cool completely before filling.

4. To make filling, press cheese through a sieve. Beat in vanilla, rum and sugar until smooth. Stir in chocolate. Chill until needed. Use less sugar if desired.

5. Fill cooled pastries using a spoon or piping bag. Decorate with pistachios, candied peel and cherries as desired. Makes about 18.

PLAIN PASTRY

125 g all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
80g cup unsalted butter
3 to 4 tbsp water

FILLING

312gr cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter, melted
40g cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated orange peel
120 ml cup whipping cream
50g cups sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 F (205C). In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until pieces are size of small peas.

2. Add 3 tbsp water; toss with a fork until all flour is moistened and mixture begins to form a ball.

3. Add more water to crumbs in bottom of bowl, if necessary. Gather dough into a flat ball. Roll our to a 12 inch circle.

4. Fit pastry into a 10-inch fluted pan, pressing to side and bottom of pan. Do not stretch.

5. Prick lightly with a fork.

6. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, eggs and butter.

7. Sift flour gradually into cheese mixture. Blend well. Add vanilla and orange peel

8. In a separate bowl, whip the cream, gradually adding the sugar.

9. Fold whipped cream carefully into cheese mixture.

10. Pour cheese mixture into pastry-lines pan; smooth top. To make glaze, combine egg yolk, sugar and water. Glaze top of cheesecake lightly. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.