Ricotta Cheese Cookies

I thought this was an interesting cookie to add to my non-traditional Christmas cookie list. I never made cookies with ricotta cheese before. They turned out to be a soft and tasty cookie.  

The original recipe was double this. I didn't want that many cookies so below is the recipe cut in half. :)

 I used 2 spoons to drop the dough onto the cookie sheets. 

recipe from here

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

7 ounces ricotta cheese ( I used whole milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and beat in the ricotta, vanilla and eggs.

Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms.

Drop by Tablespoons on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the cookies are very lightly golden. Remove with spatula to wire rack to cool.

When cookies are cool, prepare the icing. In a small bowl stir confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Dip the cookies into the icing and add the sprinkles as you like. 

Put a paper towel until the wire rack to catch the frosting drips.

~Michelle

Snickerdoodle 2

When I'm actually home at night and the kids are over a friends house I find myself looking for something to do.  That gives me the chance to BAKE. I decided to try another snickerdoodle recipe.  I came across this recipe from Cooking Classy. This is also where I found the coffee creamer cookie recipe that I made, and totally LOVED.

I thought that the batter was too sticky to handle and roll with my hands.  I took the ice cream scoop and just plopped the dough into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, flipped it over and gently place it on my air-bake cookie sheets.  They tasted delicious. The kids, their friend and I each ate 2 right away. Just a little crunch and very tender in the center. Yum

They spread out quite a bit so for the rest of the batches I just made 9 per sheet.

Snickerdoodle Cookies 
about 3 dozen cookies


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt 
3/4 cup butter 
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar 
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract 


1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip together butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and light brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. 

Mix in egg and egg yolk. Stir in sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Add in dry mixture and mix just until combine. 

Allow mixture to rest 20 minutes at room temperature. In a separate small bowl, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon. 

Scoop dough out by the heaping tablespoonfuls (each ball should be about 1 1/2 Tbsp) and roll into balls, then roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture (give them a good coating). 

Bake on Silpat lined or buttered cookie sheets in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. I used air-bake sheets and didn't butter them. Allow to cool several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.


~Michelle

Caramel Apple Cookie Bites

I like to try interesting recipes, that's my motto. I also like bite size desserts.  I thought I'd give this recipe a try.  First, the cookies are super delicious, at least according to my brother. Second, I realized at the end of the baking and decorating  that I should have put ground nuts on the bottom. You will see why as we go along.

Recipe from Taste of Home magazine; Halloween issue 2005

FILLING:
1/3 cup chopped unpeeled apple
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DOUGH:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

TOPPING:
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a small saucepan, combine filling ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened; set aside to cool.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, vanilla and salt; beat well.  Add flour; mix well.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Flatten and place 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each.  Fold dough over filling and reshape into balls.  Place 1-inc apart on greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a saucepan over low heat, cook caramels and evaporated milk, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted.  Insert a toothpick into each cookie and dip into caramel topping until completely coated.  Dip bottoms of cookies into nuts.  Place on wire racks to set.  Yield about 3 dozen. 

I got a little over 2 dozen.  We ate a couple of the cookies before they were frosted so I only had to make half of the topping mixture.

 I used a spoon to cover the cookies with the caramel topping.

 When I was adding the nuts to the cookies I thought oh how cute to sprinkle the nuts on the top of the cookies and did not dip the bottom in the nuts.  That caused them to STICK to the serving plate.  I had to use a spoon to get them off the plate.  You could not really use the toothpick to up the cookies because they were just too sticky.

 I learned my lesson.  The cookies tasted awesome, just a little messy.

I shall make them again and dip the bottoms in nuts.

~Michelle