Iced Lemon Ricotta Cookies

I love ricotta cheese.  I prefer my lasagna without it, but I love to eat it on spaghetti squash and in these cookies.  These cookies are light and delicious; sweet, but not too sweet.  They are much like our favorite orange cookies, but a bit lighter.  And the batter is unbelievably good!  Don't ask me how I know this.



The recipe is from Giada DiLaurentis, so when you read the recipe, make sure to roll your "R" a little  when you say "ricotta" in your head.  You'll feel more Italian that way!  Do you have any favorite ways to use ricotta cheese?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!

{Kitchen Update:  the floors and plaster are completed!  Paint and cabinets come next...stay tuned!}

Lemon Ricotta Cookies
from Giada DiLaurentis and Food Network

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

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

In your electric mixer bowl combine the butter and the sugar and beat 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 the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

For the Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

My Dining Room a.k.a. My Temporary Kitchen

Since my kitchen currently looks like this...



...I've had to set up a temporary kitchen in the dining room. The plumber and electrician set up my range by hooking it up to the gas line from the fireplace and by running a temporary electric wire from around the corner.  The range was not hooked up for the first 2 weeks and let me tell you - it's game changing.  Trying to cook with only a tabletop oven and portable induction cooktop was not fun.

   

Another saving grace was being able to use the butler's pantry (which will also get a makeover when the main kitchen is complete).  The original sink was a small bar sink and too small to do any dishes in, so at first I had to take the dishes in a bin to the basement to wash them.  But the builders were able to install a large utility sink which will eventually be installed in the garage.  I still miss my dishwasher and disposal, but I'm so grateful that I don't have to haul dishes to the basement anymore!  Note the plastic on the doorway - it's the only thing separating me from the construction - and the dust finds it's way into the rest of the house and blankets everything!  Thank goodness for swiffer cloths.



Opposite the sink is the refrigerator which will eventually be moved into the main kitchen area.



We had to get a little creative with storage space.  This cabinet on the right used to be filled with serving dishes and cake stands.  It's now called the "snack cabinet" and serves as a little pantry.  In the background you'll see that we covered the piano with a tablecloth and it's being used as a bookshelf for essential cookbooks.  {Annie didn't want the kitchen to get all the attention.  She's not at all camera shy!}



I also moved a shelving unit from the basement to hold baking pans and ingredients and I have boxes of kitchen non-necessities stacked in every available space.  Oh, hello again Annie!



Below is what my foyer looked like just before Christmas.  Choosing paint colors and coordinating cabinet and tile is the most painful part of the process for me.



The kitchen has made some progress since these photos were taken and I'll show you some of those  pics next time!  It's getting closer to the finish line!

Pizzelles and Making Ice Cream Cups

I'm getting ready to show you my temporary kitchen, but before I do that, I'd like to share with you a cookie that requires NO oven - the pizzelle!  My daughter missed having pizzelles at Christmas this year, so we spent a little time yesterday making them.

The only caveat is that you need a pizzelle iron, or ice cream cone maker.  Pizzelle irons make small 4" rounds and ice cream cone makers make 7" rounds.  Otherwise they are essentially the same thing.  For this recipe it is also useful to have a small cookie scoop for portioning the batter.



I liked the idea of having these cookies with ice cream, but the rounds were too small to make cones so we improvised a bit and made small ice cream cups.  I used small custard cups to mold them, but you could use a bigger bowl like a cereal bowl or even drape the cookie over the bottom of the upside-down bowl to make bigger, wider cups.   The trick is to immediately place the warm cookie right from the iron into the bowl.  Keep the bowls next to the iron and don't hesitate, because as soon as the cookies cool for a few seconds, they get crispy and are unable to press into the bowl without cracking.



After the cups cool, they will hold their shape.  You can change the flavorings in the recipe to suit your taste and to suit the ice cream flavors and toppings you will serve it with.  For eating just plain cookies, I like to use anise and vanilla extracts with lemon and orange zests.  The anise is not at all overpowering and it will smell stronger in the batter than it will in the finished cookie.  For eating with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce like we did, you might want to omit all flavorings except the vanilla so the flavors don't compete.  These little cups take your ice cream dessert to a whole new level and provides an impressive presentation with very little effort - and without turning on your oven!

 

Pizzelles
Makes about 20-25 cookies

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 eggs
1 tsp anise extract
zest of 1/2 a lemon
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.  Cream together the sugar and melted butter.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Add the extracts and zests.   Add the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated.  Scoop batter onto pizzelle iron with a small cookie scoop or according to your pizzelle maker's instructions and bake until golden.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  Cookies will become crispy as they cool.

If shaping your pizzelles into bowls, immediately place the hot pizzelle into a bowl, pressing very gently, but working very quickly before the cookie has a chance to cool.  Let cool in the bowl before removing.  Store cooled pizzelles in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Goodbye Old Kitchen

Take a look inside my old kitchen.  Above is a photo I took before we bought the house.  The owners had a small island in the center.  The family had already moved out, so everything was pretty barebones.



After we moved in, the first thing I did was replace the range.  The old Magic Chef was a classic, but knobs were missing and it was in pretty bad shape - and not what I needed for all the baking I do.  I love everything about my Wolf range!



Above is a photo of the kitchen while we were moving in (two and half years ago).  We think the cabinets are original to the house, which means they are 80 years old.  They held up pretty well considering their age, but most of the doors were warped and wouldn't close completely and many of the drawers were broken or didn't slide well anymore.

The lighting was simply awful!  So many times I looked up to the ceiling to see if the lights were on.  They were - it was just so dark!  Fortunately during the daytime, there is a lot of natural light coming in from both sides of the room.

The one thing I came to love was the old enamel farmhouse sink.  The faucet dripped but I loved the large bowl with drainboards on both sides.  I love to look out on the back garden when I wash the dishes (which is quite often).



Still unpacking...to the left of the range, I made my office in a small alcove.  Anyone in the market for a metal green ivy chandelier?  I'm sure that would be right up someone's alley - it's just not my style.  I have to say, it provided some much needed carryover light into the kitchen, so I was grateful for it.



Here's the old kitchen in action.  Hey, just keepin' in real - this was Dec 23rd of last year and I had orders to fill - making trifles and orange cookies, and gingerbread cookies - things were crazy that day!
Perhaps you've been wondering if I dropped off the face of the earth - well there's not much baking going on here lately, and therefore not much to blog about because...



...here's my kitchen today - completely gutted! To the right of the window you can see where the door to the outside used to be.  It now leads into the new the family room.  The new addition was phase one and its progression is ahead of the kitchen (phase two).  It's all very exciting!



Above is where the range was.  We are keeping the brick wall exposed and the range will have a home there once again.



In this photo, you can see how the walls were constructed.  The walls are hard as rock, which is why the contractor decided to keep them mostly intact and build over them.



Above and below are photos of the space that used to be my office.  We have great plans for this space, but you'll have to check back to see what we do with it!  My new office will be in a separate room just off the kitchen.



Did I mention that we're living in the house during all this construction?   Most of my living is done just on the other side of that very thin piece of plastic over the doorway.  There's noise (sometimes so loud you can't hear yourself talk) from 7 am sharp to 3:30.  Somehow I've managed not to lose it, although I've had moments of temporary insanity.   In my next post, I'll show you my temporary kitchen set-up!

Rome Cooking Class Part 2: View from the Rooftop and Fried Pizza Dough with Tomato-Basil Dipping Sauce

Rome Cooking Class Part One 

The hands-on cooking portion of our class in Rome was held at the gorgeous private apartment of chef Violetta.  After climbing up the winding and narrow stairs to the 3rd story of the building, we were led into her beautiful apartment and out to one of her rooftop patios.  This patio you see in the photo above was draped with flowy white linens to tame the hot sun and lined with pots and pots of lavender and rosemary and small citrus trees. 

Looking out from the patio, we were surrounded by views of cathedrals and buildings, many with their own rooftop gardens.  It was hard to believe that we were in the heart of the city because it seemed so peaceful there.

Back inside the kitchen, Violetta fried some pizza dough which she had purchased from a pizza shop and served it with a delicious chunky tomato basil dipping sauce.  So simple, yet so delicious.  It was probably my favorite of all the delicious things we ate that day.  

I couldn't wait to reproduce it at home because I knew the kids would love it.  I also wanted to make it when the tomatoes were at their prime and fresh basil was abundant in the garden, and that is right now - so there was no delaying!  Of course you can also buy pizza dough already made from your local pizzeria, but you can also easily make it yourself with the recipe below or use your favorite pizza dough recipe.  The tomatoes in the dipping sauce should be of the small sweet variety and do not need to be peeled or seeded.  Try this appetizer and you can imagine that you are in the heart of Italy, eating a specialty of Rome!

Neo-Neopolitan Pizza Dough
adapted from American Pie by Peter Reinhart

Makes 2 10-inch pizzas or  about 24 fried pizza balls

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey or sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
7/8 cup room-temperature water
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl.  Combine the honey, olive oil, and water in a cup and add to the flour mixture.  Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.  Set the dough aside to rest for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking too much.  Or knead using the dough hook in your mixer bowl.  Generally speaking, you want the dough to be wetter and stickier than your typical bread dough. It should be dry enough that it holds together and pulls away from the side of the bowl when you mix it, but it will still be a bit sticky.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough so that the oil is on all sides of the dough and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the bowl sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.  If you want to make the fried dough that day, then let the dough sit at room temperature one hour and then refrigerate at least two hours.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator two hours before using.  The dough can sit in the refrigerator up to two days or placed in an oiled tiptop baggie and frozen for up to 3 months.

Heat 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees F in a pot (I used a small pot and therefore less oil).  Break off golf ball-sized rounds of dough and drop the dough into oil and fry on both sides until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature with dipping sauce.

Tomato-Basil Dipping Sauce
Makes enough for 24 Pizza dough balls or one recipe of the above dough

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife, but still whole
2 pints small sweet plum tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
About 20 small fresh basil leaves, preferably torn, not chopped, into small pieces

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan with the garlic until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.  Remove the garlic and discard it.  Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper and simmer until thickened to desired consistency.  Remove from the heat and add the basil leaves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Rome Cooking Class Part One: Campo Di Fiori

During our visit to Italy, one of the highlights was a cooking class that was arranged for our group.  The class included a walk around the Campo di Fiori, a well-known produce market in the heart of Rome, to choose our fresh ingredients for the class.  We then took a short walk to the chef's personal home where we learned to make a fresh tomato compote with fried pizza dough, an eggplant cake, and a raspberry tart before sitting on the rooftop patio to eat lunch and enjoy the spectacular view.

I will share the recipes and photos of the class in the upcoming days, but first enjoy the rainbow of colors we saw at the Campo Di Fiori.  We cooked with local, in-season ingredients which we found in abundance at the market.  In Rome, late summer is the season for figs, eggplant, tomatoes and peaches (much like it is here in Pennsylvania).  The market was small compared to the huge markets of Istanbul, but you could find everything you needed to make a delicious Italian meal.

You could find dried pastas of every shape and color, olive oils, spices and Italian cookies.  Surrounding the temporary stalls of produce are small specialty shops where they sell delicious meats and cheeses, and other items for cooking.  I picked up some figs (green and brown for taste testing), balsamic vinegar, soft amaretti cookies, Acacia honey, a bag of lentils and some dried borlotti beans to bring home.  

My suitcase was filled with things for the kitchen!  The airline security in Chicago didn't like the looks of my lentils and beans and pulled me aside to test the packages for traces of chemicals and ran them through the security x-ray twice.  Finally they determined that the lentils were safe and we were on our way home.   I guess I just need to decide what I want to make with my imported ingredients!  I'd love any suggestions you might have!

Tomorrow I will share a simple and fantastic appetizer recipe we learned at the class!

Back to School Cookies

Are you ready for school?

We've got a short two weeks left and we are making the most of it.   I've been waiting all summer for our trip to Tuscany (Siena) and Rome, Italy.  Mark is in Siena now and the way he describes it makes me think I may not want to come back! - olive groves, 700-year-old architecture, and pain au chocolat for breakfast.  I'll be joining him tomorrow.  Here's a photo of Siena...

I'll tell you all about it when I get back!
Enjoy the rest of your summer!