Holiday Baking Part I- Ricotta Cookies, Spritz (Butter) Cookies, Chocolate Butter Cookies

Ricotta Cookies, Spritz (Butter) Cookies, Chocolate Butter Cookies

4 days until the main event and I am baking like a mad woman! We are hosting a traditional multi-course Italian Christmas "dinner". You know the kind that starts at 3 pm. I want to make sure that we are fully stocked with cookies for snacking and taking home. I lost 2 battles with filled cookies so I am moving on. I will try those again at Easter or if I am feeling adventurous in a few months. Until then  I do not want to so much as smell Apple Butter and Mince Meat!

Everyone who has these cookies loves them! I have made them a bunch of times but somehow I managed to misplace the recipe for what has to be the 1000th time! Thank goodness my Aunt Roe is the keeper of that recipe and kindly sends it to us (repeatedly).

So without further ado....

Ricotta Cookies

3 eggs

2 cups of sugar

1 lb of ricotta

1/2 lb of butter

2 tsp of vanilla or any other extract you'd like

4cups of flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Glaze

Lemon Juice

10x Sugar

 -or- 

Duncan Hines (or similar) can of Vanilla frosting

Cream butter, sugar and eggs well

Add ricotta and vanilla

Blend in flour, salt and baking soda

Mix until well blended.

Drop batter by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until bottom is golden brown

Let cool before icing.

You can either mix up enough lemon juice and 10x sugar to make a thick glaze for the cookies or you can heat a can of frosting until warm and use that to ice cookies.

Tips: I used Part-Skim Ricotta and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter for Baking. We made the lemon glaze for our cookies. My Aunt uses a can of frosting- both ways are delicious!

I have always loved Spritz Cookies! These were probably one of the first cookies I ever made. My mom has this great electric cookie press which was always the highlight of making Spritz Cookies! Since I am using my Grandmom Lucy's Recipes for both Chocolate and regular Butter Cookies it only seemed fitting that I use her brand new cookie press I discovered in my parent's basement.

Butter Cookies

1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 lb. Spry (Butter Flavored Crisco)
3 Eggs
1 Tbsp Vanilla
5 Cups Flour

Cream spry and sugar
Add eggs and vanilla
Add flour gradually (you may not need the entire amount)
Bake 400 for 10 mins

Tips: I cut the recipe down to make 1/3 of its original. I would recommend putting the batter in the refrigerator to chill so it is easier to work with when using the cookie press.

Chocolate Butter Cookies

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose Flour
1/4 cup plain cocoa (not the mix)
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 tsp rum flavor if desired

Measure sifted flour. Add cocoa, cornstarch, and sugar- sift again.

Beat butter to cream (consistency of mayo). Add the sifted ingredients and flavoring a little at a time blending each in well.

Divide into 4 portions and wrap each in foil- chill very thoroughly. Work with one portion at a time keeping others chilled.

Shape into small 1" balls or use cookie press. Work quickly. Place on baking sheet and flatten balls with flour coasted fork marking from top to bottom and sides.

Bake in  300 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes or until done. Let cool on racks. Then frost as desired

Tips: I chilled for 4 hours and the dough was still very hard to work with in cookie press. These are the most ridiculously delicate cookies I have ever seen! Be very careful handling when they are cooked.

Part 2 Coming Soon!

Buon Appetito!