COOKIES: Ricotta-Cheese Cookies
I think I found this on the internet (by Naoma R. Felt in Bradenton, FL) and I make them quite often.
They're moist and soft.
Yields: about 6 dozen cookies
Work Time: 30 minutes plus cooling
Total Time: 45 minutes plus cooling
2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter (2 sticks), softened
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 tsps. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tbsps. milk (I substitute 3/4 tbsp. orange extract or a smaller amount of fiori di sicilia + 2 tbsps. milk)
red and green sugar crystals
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and margarine or butter until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. At medium speed, beat in ricotta, vanilla, and eggs until well combined.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms.
Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly golden (cookies will be soft). With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
When cookies are cool, prepare icing: In small bowl, stir confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth.
With small metal spatula or knife, spread icing on cookies; sprinkle with red or green sugar crystals.
Set cookies aside to allow icing to dry completely, about 1 hour.
Each cookie: About 90 calories, 1 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 3 g total fat (1 g saturated), 3 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium.