Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
By: Giada De Laurentiis

Cookies:
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15oz) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 Tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
2 lemons, zested and squeezed for juice

Preheat oven convection 375 degrees

Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in dry ingredients.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 Tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges (cookies are not meant to be crispy; these are soft). Remove from oven and allow the cookies to rest on baking sheets for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Place wax paper under wire racks to catch glaze drippings!

Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, juice from 2 lemons, and zest from 2 lemons. Place in Ziploc bag. Cut tip and drizzle over cookies. With the back of a spoon, smooth the glaze over the top of the cookies. Let the glaze harden on the cookies for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container. Best served the day of, but if you need to keep leftovers place loosely in a container and loosely cover (don’t refrigerate); leave at room temperature.

Makes 32 cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Raisin Cookies
By: Rosanna adapted from recipe of Doris Christopher

1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups old-fashioned or quick oats
1 ½ cups chocolate covered raisins
*(3) 3.5oz each boxes of Raisinets (2 boxes of Dark Chocolate, and 1 box of Milk Chocolate)
OR (2) 3.5oz each boxes of Raisinets with ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips*
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well and set aside.

In an electric mixer beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in oats, Raisinets and chopped nuts (optional).

Using medium scooper, drop level scoops of dough onto parchment lined baking pans. Flatten dough slightly.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in tightly covered container for up to 2 days.

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Crunchy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Crunchy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
By: Peggy Cullen

1 ½ sticks of butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup dried cranberries
2 cups large pecan pieces (optional)

*Be sure to bake these cookies on parchment paper. They will spread too much on a buttered baking sheet*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula and beat for a few more seconds. Beat in the oats.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. On low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Combine the cranberries and nuts (optional) in a small bowl. Stir them into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, one tray at a time, until the edges are golden brown. The centers will appear slightly underdone. Be careful not to overbake; the cookies will continue to darken on the baking sheets. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

About 3 dozen cookies

Mormon Molasses Spice Cookies

Mormon Molasses Spice Cookies
By: Peggy Cullen

1 ½ sticks butter, cut in pieces
¼ cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the molasses and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour with 1 cup of the sugar, the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add the beaten egg to the cooled butter mixture and mix well with a fork. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until firm enough to form balls, about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scoop out walnut-size pieces of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Toss the balls in the sugar to coat completely and place on parchment lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the centers are no longer raw. (At 12 minutes you’ll have soft and chewy cookies; at 15 minutes they’ll be crisp.) Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

About 4 dozen cookies

Crisp and Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crisp and Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies
By: Peggy Cullen

2 sticks butter, softened
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 large egg
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (12oz) chocolate chunks or chips
2 cups nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bottom and sides of bowl. Beat for a few more minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks/chips and nuts (optional) in a small bowl and stir into the dough.

Shape the dough into 1 ½ inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. For thinner cookies use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball. Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden. Let sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

About 4 dozen cookies

Chocolate Quakes

Chocolate Quakes
By: Peggy Cullen

3 Tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup finely ground pecans (optional)
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners’ Sugar

In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat the melted butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla on low speed until pale in color and thickened, about 1 minute. Sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix on low speed until incorporated. Fold in the nuts (optional) and chocolate chips. Chill the mixture until firm enough to handle, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place about ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl (you won’t use it all).

Form the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and roll each in the confectioners’ sugar to coat completely. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and the sugar has cracked apart. They will appear underdone in the center. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Almost 2 dozen cookies

Ricotta Cookies

Ricotta Cookies
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
7 ½ oz ricotta cheese (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Yes, convection if possible). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together and add half to the butter mixture; blend well. Add ricotta cheese to the butter mixture, and then stir in the remaining flour mixture.

Using a medium ice cream scoop (or a slightly rounded ¼ cup measure), portion mixture into 2 ½ oz balls. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle fresh nutmeg on top for decorative twist!

Cream cheese frosting:
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

In a bowl, beat the butter until lightly fluffy. Add the cream cheese and the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, until incorporated.

Pumpkin spiced iced cookies

Pumpkin spiced iced cookies
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Combine in medium size bowl.

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (15oz) 100% pure canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto parchment paper ready lined baking sheets.

Convection oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; then, remove to wire racks to cool completely. Put wax paper under racks. Drizzle with vanilla glaze:

Vanilla Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk. Drizzle over cookies.

Makes 30 cookies.

Note: Eat within the day or they will get soft. Don’t put in airtight container or they get really soggy. Store at room temperature.

Mrs. Fields Cinnamon Sugar Butter Cookies

Mrs. Fields Cinnamon Sugar Butter Cookies
Topping:
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Cookies:
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (convection if possible). Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping, set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer. Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not over mix. Shape dough into 1” balls and roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar topping. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes.