Ricotta cheese pie with a cognac cheesecake crust

Sift the flour and salt together.

Break up the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until some pieces look like peas and the rest like coarse cornmeal.

Toss in the cognac with a fork, a tablespoon to start.

Add the cold water a little at a time until the dough comes together, not smooth and not sticky.

Shape into a disc and chill half an hour.

Roll out and line the pie dish; keep it in the fridge until needed.

Combine the ricotta with the chopped blanched almonds, toasted pine nuts and chopped citron.

Dust the top of the cheese mixture with flour and leave a minute.

Beat the eggs until light and lemony, gradually adding the sugar.

Add the vanilla extract, then combine the cheese mixture with the eggs until well blended.

Pour into the pie shell, holding a little filling back because the recipe is sized for a 10 inch pie.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes, until the edges stay in place when shaken and the centre jiggles.

Garnish with the reserved toasted pine nuts.