Ricotta Cookies
5 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
Zest from 1 Orange
4 cups All Purpose Flour (Unbleached)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
2 cups Sugar
8 oz Butter, room temperature, cut into 1 Tbsp pats
15 oz Whole Milk Ricotta (2 cups)
2 extra large Eggs, room temperature
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Icing
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Almond or Pure Vanilla Extract
4-6 Tbsp Milk
Colored Sprinkles
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Zest the orange and set it aside for later. Be sure to ONLY zest the orange part of peel, avoid the white.
3. Place a large wire strainer in a large mixing bowl.
4. Put the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt in the strainer in the bowl.
5. Lift the strainer and strain the dry ingredients through it into the mixing bowl, mix thoroughly, and set aside for later.
6. In a separate large mixing bowl (or in a KitchenAid), add the sugar and the butter and mix thoroughly with a hand mixer.
7. Add the Ricotta and continue to mix with the hand mixer until creamy.
8. Add the Eggs and continue to mix with hand mixer until creamy.
9. Add the Vanilla and continue to mix with hand mixer until creamy.
10. Add the Orange Zest and continue to mix with hand mixer until incorporated thoroughly.
11. Add the Flour mixture one large serving spoonful at a time while you continually mix.
12. Place a sheet of baking paper on a cookie sheet.
13. Scoop up a bit of the dough with a spoon and use your finger to scrape the dough off the spoon and on to the baking paper. You should easily be able to fit 12 1"-1.5" balls of dough.
14. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. 14 minutes usually works best.
15. Let the cookies cool or the icing won't work.
16. In a bowl add the Powdered Sugar and the Almond Extract.
17. Add the Milk one Tbsp at a time until a thick icing is formed. It should be thick enough to not soak into the cookie, but thin enough to not be frosting.
18. Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing allowing any extra to run off.
19. Before the icing sets, decorate the cookies with sprinkles or colored sugar.
