Ricotta Cookies

These cookies are from Lidia's site, we had a family dinner and these were 1 of the desserts.  My daughter made Tarimasu which I will post later.  As you can guess we had Italian.  I made home made Cannelloni with meat and cheese filling.  Two trays were with beef and two were made with Pork 

I must say these cookies are really good, light and so tasty.  I will make them again and again.  Oh yes one other thing they go together very quickly.  A big plus.

Printable
Ingredients:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
8 ounces fresh ricotta, drained
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze
2 teaspoons lemon zest, plus** 1/4 cup lemon juice

**2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, and set aside.
**those  two starred items I used less than a 1/4 cup of juice and 1 1/2 cups of sugar, it made more than enough

Directions:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the sugar and butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, and crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Plop in the ricotta, vanilla, and lemon zest, and beat to combine. Add the flour mix, and beat on low until just combined, but do no over mix.

Drop the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets. Place in oven, and bake, rotating pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies are puffed, golden, and cooked all the way through, about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on wire racks.

When the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice to make a smooth glaze. Adjust the consistency with a little water or more confectioners’ sugar to make the glaze thick enough to stick to the cookies when dipped. Hold each cookie with two fingers, then dip the top of the cookies in the glaze and let dry on racks until all are done. Let dry for 2 hours before storing.

 Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day and Remember to Find the Time to DO all the Things YOU love.
Donna

Pineapple Pound Cake

 
Another great dessert and yummy tasting cake.  When making this cake I discovered I didn't have a tube pan.  I know I owned one, but sure couldn't find it.  So that has gone on my list of things to buy, oh fun a new toy. :)  This recipe called for a tube pan, but as I said "no can find" so I used my bundt pan and it turned out fine.  I make this cake for our weekly game and served the BLT Puff Pastry.  Another BIG YUM. 

 Printable
Pineapple pound cake
Ingredients:

    1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained, divided
    1/2 cup vegetable shortening
    1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks)
    2 cups granulated sugar
    6 large eggs
    3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 cup milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/4 cup butter or margarine
    1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation:
Put 3/4 cup of undrained pineapple with its juice in a small bowl; set aside. Drain remaining pineapple and measure 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple; set aside.

Cream shortening, butter, and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Sift flour and baking powder together; add to creamed mixture, 1 large spoonful at a time, alternately with milk. Add vanilla; stir in 3/4 cup undrained pineapple with juice and blend well. Pour batter into a well greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Place in cold oven. Turn oven to 325̊ and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Let pineapple pound cake stand for few minutes in pan. Run knife around edges to loosen and remove pineapple cake carefully to a rack. Combine butter, confectioners' sugar, and about 1 cup drained pineapple. Pour pineapple sauce over cake while still hot.

 Please give this a try.  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Mexican Orange Sugar Cookie

This is the other cookie I made for my Marine grandson, Josh.  It is an easy recipe and even though I messed up the recipe they were still pretty good.  Next time I will add more orange zest, I didn't feel that they had enough orange flavor.  HMMMM wonder if that is because I put the cinnamon in the dough.  I'll have to try these again and see.

  adapted from here

printable

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening*
1/2 cup granulated sugar , divided
1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds
1 egg
1/8 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
3 cups AP flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
 1 1/2teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 TBL orange zest

* Butter may be substituted for the vegetable shortening.

Preparation:

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat vegetable shortening, 1/4 cup sugar, and anise seeds until creamy. Add egg beat well. Add orange juice and continue beating until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into shortening mixture to form dough. Remove dough from bowl and knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Form dough into disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

  Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place on prepared cookie sheets. Gently press any remaining dough trimmings together, re-roll, and cut out more cookies.

Bake cookies approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven. When still hot, dip in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Makes about 3 1/2dozen cookies.
I didn't freeze any of these but don't see why you couldn't.  
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the time to Do All the things YOU Love.
Donna

Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies

 

I made these cookies for my grandson Josh, who is a Marine.  We are soooooo proud of him.  My daughter tries to send him a box every month with his favorite cookies and I always send him new recipe cookies so maybe he can add some to his list.  Last time I sent the Potato Chip cookies.   The other cookie I made will follow it's a Mexican Orange Sugar Cookie. Also I made these some with the nuts and some without.  There are times Josh is not crazy about nuts in cookies so thought I'd send him ones without.

  printable

Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies

2 1/2 cps AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter, slightly cooled
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 lg eggs
1 10.5 oz pkg andies mint chips
Optional 1 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans chopped

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. In a medium bowl combine the four, baking soda and salt and set aside.  In a large bowl, stir the cooled melted butter and sugars with a wooden spoon until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla beating until smooth.  Stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate morsels and nuts (if using).  Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes (or up to 6 hours) to let the dough firm up.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto lined cookie sheets, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. I used my small ice cream scoop.  Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden around the edges but still soft on top.  Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely or enjoy warm.  This recipe made 60 cookies.  You can also freeze these, just scoop them onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and set in freezer for a couple of hours.  When frozen put in plastic bag and write on the outside what they are with the cooking temperature and time.  That way you could have cookies whenever you like.  I froze 16 of these so when my friends come next time I don't have to worry about dessert.

I must admit I didn't put them in the refrigerator.  I think I was at a point that I wanted to be done because I had just made a batch of  Mexican Orange Sugar Cookies and messed that recipe up too. I added the cinnamon to the flour mixture instead of saving it for the sugar topping.  Oh well, we all have those times I think. They both came out good but it just makes me so irritated when I do things like that.
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the time to Do ALL the things YOU Love.
Donna

Italian Herb and Basil Bread

The main part of the bread recipe is from my Italian Bread and I just changed it up a bit my adding spices before I rolled them to rise.  Simple, quick and delicious with your favorite Pasta Dish.  These breads were were served with the braised beef and pasta dish in the previous post.
The bread on the right is my normal Italian Bread recipe, the one in the middle has 2 TBL of Italian herb and garlic spices added to the dough and on top, the one on the left has chopped basil and cheese mixed in the dough.   All started with this recipe, so you see your possibilities for this dough are endless and just up to your imagination. 
Ingredients:
2 Pkgs rapid rise or instant yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water 115-125
2 TBL sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/4 - 4 3/4 cups flour *I used 2 cups bread flour 2 1/2 cups ap flour*
2 TBL vegetable oil
In the large bowl of mixer, place yeast, sugar, salt and two cups of flour. (I used 1 cup AP flour 1 cup bread flour) Mix to blend and add the 130 degree F water and oil. Mix on medium speed with regular beater for 3 minutes. Insert dough hook and beat for another 6:30 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep dough from being sticky.
Place dough on a floured board, cover with a cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes. Punch down dough and form into two long narrow loaves. Place loaves on a greased pan or parchment lined, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Before placing loaves in oven, brush tops with egg whites and sprinkle sesame seeds on top . Cut three to five slashes in the top with a serrated knife. Place loaves in oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

 

This recipe has become my go to when I want fresh baked bread and rolls.  I need to try this recipe in a loaf pan.  When I do I will share how it came out.

Thanks for taking time from you busy day to stop by.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU love.

Donna

Orange Yeast Bread

 

 

One of my friends is able to get fresh eggs often and so he calls or texts me to see if I would like some. We have decided to do a barter system, he brings me eggs and I make him food. Good trade I'd say. So this week he wanted a yeast bread with the flavor of orange. Now I've made orange bread (like banana bread ) but never a yeast bread. So searching I went and I found a decent recipe. So of course I had to change some things. This is what I came up with. Sure hope you try this one because it sure is good toasted with some butter and orange marmalade. Oh I also made him some Italian loaves, because he brought me 4 doz. Eggs.

Orange Yeast Bread

This recipe results in a wonderful loaf full of the flavor and scent of oranges, which comes from the whole orange. I adapted this from this recipe from King’s Daughters Society of Duluth, Minnesota

In: King’s Daughters Cook Book, 1916—USA

Ingredients:

4 cups AP flour

1-1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup of warm water

2 large oranges (whole) pureed in blender

1 tsp salt

2 TBL sugar

1 large egg yolk

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 large egg white (to glaze)

Mix the yeast in the warm water and set aside for about 10 minutes.

In a blender put some water and the cut up oranges (peel and all)mixer bowl pour 1 cup of orange puree, egg yolk, sugar and flour, mixing on low speed for about 1-2 minutes. Add the yeast and mix for a few more minutes, then add the salt. Mix a little longer, at low speed, and then add the butter. Mix until the butter is well incorporated and the dough is smooth and well developed. You might need extra orange puree, depending on how your flour absorbs liquids. I needed 1/4 cup extra juice.

Let the dough rest in a lightly greased covered bowl, until double in bulk. Then shape and baked in two bread pans (9 x 5-inch pans). You could also make this into a braid or the shape of Italian loaves.

Cover the loaves with a kitchen towel and let rise until double. Brush gently with the egg white lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water.

Bake in a preheated oven (350°F) for about 45 minutes or 1 hour, depending on the size, until the crust is a deep golden brown. Cool the bread(s) on a rack.
Let complete cool, if you can. Slice and enjoy.
Thanks for taking time to stop by, have a wonderful weekend and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things you love.
Donna

Blueberry Cake with Crumb Topping

 

It's so nice when fruit is in season, it's oh so yummy and refreshing during the summer.  I was going to make blueberry muffins but decided on this instead.  Funny how we get into ruts making the same things over and over just changing the contents.

  Printable 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces butter, softened (8 tablespoons)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries

Topping:

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash ground nutmeg

5 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Preparation:

Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Heat oven to 350°.  **I used an 8 inch spring pan and had to increase the cooking time by another 15 minutes.  **  
 Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, soda, and salt; set aside.
In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream the 4 ounces of softened butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat for about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until blended. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the batter.
In another bowl combine the brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring with a fork until smooth. Add the 5 tablespoons of melted butter and blend well with the fork. Blend in chopped nuts, if using. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the blueberries.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake is firm and top is browned.
Let cool for about 10 minutes on a rack; remove the side of the pan and cool completely before slicing.

Hope you give this a try, it's really wonderful, think some ice cream would be good with it too!
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU love.
Donna