Sweet crustless cheese pie

This is a delicious and light traditional sweet pie which in some areas is served as a first dish and not as a dessert. It can be found with different names depending on the area it comes from. The specific version comes from the Aegean Sea island of Syros and you could also call it "sesame pie". In some islands this pie is considered as an Easter delicacy

Ingredients (for a medium size oven pan):
8 eggs
1Kg of anthotyro cheese or fresh unsalted myzithra (or fresh ricotta)
700-800gr. of white granulated sugar
1 tbsp of ground cinnamon
the zest of half a lemon
the zest of half an orange
1 tsp of mastic drops
1 tbsp of corn oil
plenty of sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:
Preheat the oven at 150°C. Brush the bottom and the sides of a medium size oven pan with the oil and sprinkle with plenty of sesame.

In the bowl of a standing mixer put the mastic drops with some of the sugar and beat for a few seconds so to break down the mastic. Add the orange and the lemon zest, the cinnamon and beat again. Then, in turns, add the eggs (one at the time) and the sugar while you keeping beating until you have a pale in colour mixture.

Finally, add the cheese and keep beating the ingredients until they become a smooth and well blended mixture. Empty the mixture into the pan and sprinkle on top with plenty of sesame.

Put in the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the mixture is well set and the pie is nicely browned on top.

Take out of the oven and allow the pie to stand for a few minutes before you cut in pieces and serve lukewarm.