Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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Little pillows of citrus heaven, that's how I would describe these cookies. One batch makes about 3 dozen and if I don't put them up immediately, my kids will eat them all in a day! When I photographed these, they ate through all but 6 in one afternoon. That's what I get for leaving them on the counter.

They're not super heavy and dense like you'd expect, but they're not super light and airy either. They fit perfectly somewhere in between. They're more cakey and not crispy. The lemon isn't overwhelming, but the icing is bright and in your face, but not obnoxiously so. They're legitimately the perfect cookie.

I make these every year as one of the many Christmas cookies I bake. I make double and triple batches of 5 to 6 different kinds, scoop or roll them and freeze them. I was a bit afraid of how well these little gems would freeze, since they had cheese in them, but I was very happy to learn they freeze just fine. I make them, flatten them, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about an hour, then load them up by the dozen in freezer bags. When I'm ready to cook them, I place them on parchment lined cookie sheets, let them thaw and cook them like normal.

Even though I make these at Christmas, they're the perfect cookie for spring or summer. A dessert for a picnic, or cookout. They would also make wonderful teacher's gifts as well! Maybe I should get on that to go with the Starbucks gift cards I bought the boys teachers. They'd be amazing dipped in tea. Actually these would be absolutely perfect for an actual tea party. I could come up with so many reasons to justify making these cookies! 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

makes about 3 dozen

click to print

• 1 lemon
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Zest, juice lemon and strain, set aside 3 tablespoons of juice for icing. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl beat, butter, sugar and zest until fluffy. Beat in ricotta, eggs and extract. Beat in flour mixture. Scoop onto parchment and flatten into disks, using the bottom of a drinking glass, dipped in flour. Leave 1 ½ inch space between each cookie. Bake 15-20 minutes and allow to cool. Stir together confection sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over cooled cookies. Allow to set up before serving.

*If you are making dough ahead and freezing, scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet and flatten and place in the freezer on the cookie sheet, allow it to freeze for about an hour then fill a gallon bag and toss back into the freezer. When you bake them, either thaw and follow original bake time in they're still frozen add 3-5 minutes to baking time. 

Happy cookie baking!

Until next time,

Ashley

Banana Bread Cupcakes with Fluffy Nutella Buttercream

Who doesn't love banana bread amiright? Even my husband, who is allergic to bananas, loves the stuff. When he was younger, he would sometimes, take a benadryl then eat some to try to counter act the effects. Of course, you always want what you can't have. Luckily for him, as an adult, he learned he was only allergic to certain protein that breaks down in cooking so he can eat bananas as long as they've been cooked. He was like a kid on Christmas when he found that out.

Banana bread makes me think of my Grandpa, my mom's dad. He loved it, LOADED with nuts. The chunkier the better. He went through so many bananas through the week, it was a wonder my granny ever had any left over to make the bread. His love of banana bread and chocolate have always made the combination seem like a good idea to me. Throw in Nutella and you have a WINNER!

These cupcakes come together quickly. You can easily make them by hand, instead of a stand mixer. Quick and easy. They're a cupcake for sure and not just a quick bread but they are so very similar. And the buttercream, the buttercream, is like a cloud of chocolate hazelnut heaven!!!! Trust me, when I say, you need it in your life!!!

Banana Bread Cupcakes with Fluffy Nutella Buttecream
click to print

Banana Bread Cupcakes
Makes 15-18 cupcakes

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. In the bowl for your stand mixer, add egg and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Mix in vanilla, sour cream and butter, until just combines. Mix in dry, then stir in the bananas. In a small bowl stir together pecan, chocolate chips and flour then fold into the batter. Using a 1/4 dry measuring cup fill the the muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown. These cupcakes are not light and fluffy. They are dense like banana bread, so a tooth pick may not come out clean. Allow to cool before frosting.

Fluffy Nutella Frosting
makes enough to frost one batch of cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons whipping cream, cold
2 oz melted chocolate, cooled slightly

In a stand mixer, using whisk attachment whip butter, 2 cups sugar and Nutella until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in chocolate and whisk until combined. Add in whipping cream and whisk for 5 minutes on high. Check consistency to make sure it's firm enough, add more powdered sugar if it is too soft. It should be soft and fluffy, yet still hold its shape.

Strawberry Shortcake Krispy Rice Treats

Guys, Guys, GUYS!!!!! Stop what you're doing and make these! I know, I know, everyone makes krispy treats, but these are different! Have you ever used freeze dried fruit in anything? The beauty of them are, they don't get super sweet like regular dehydrated fruit, they stay perfectly tart. Mix them with the super sweetness of the marshmallows and you have a match made in heaven!

I really love freeze dried fruit. You can crush them into powder and it is so concentrated that you can stir it into any thing for a major kick of flavor. Stir it into a yummy buttercream and you have the best strawberry frosting you'll ever try. Add it to a basic cake batter and it makes a huge difference to your strawberry cake!

I've made these a few times and no one can keep their hands out of them. I actually just finished one while I'm sitting here at my "Ladies ONLY" Craft Retreat. I made a double batch and 24 hours in, they're almost gone. My kids and husband devour them every time. My sister and niece do the same. I bake so many things and create so many desserts, so for one this simple to be such a favorite, you know it's a winner. I'm currently working on some fun versions of these guy.

Strawberry Shortcake Krispy Rice Treats
adapted from Cookie and Cup's recipe here

5 tablespoons butter
8 cups mini marshamallows + 2 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups rice cereal
1/2 cup crushed freeze dried strawberries + 1 tablespoon set aside
*4 oz white chocolate optional

Line a 9x9 with parchment paper. Rip off an extra piece, about the size of the bottom of the pan and set aside. In a large pot, over medium heat, stir butter and marshmallows until melted. Remove from heat, stir in rice cereal. Once mostly combine add in remaining 2 cups marshmallows and 1/2 cup crushed strawberries. Pour into pan and using the extra sheet of parchment press into pan until flat. Allow to cool and set, about 30 minutes to an hour. Cut into squares and place on a cooling wrack with parchment under it. In a small microwave safe bowl melt white chocolate at 10 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. It should not take more than 30 seconds. Drizzle white chocolate over squares and sprinkle remaining crushed strawberries on. *If you skipped the white chocolate just sprinkle the berries on the top after you pressed the treats into the pan while cooling.

Truffle Pie with Cookies & Cream Whipped Cream

Crunchy chocolate cookies, rich and luscious filling, topped with fluffy, cookie studded whipped cream. It is the perfect pie to feed your inner chocoholic. This particular pie looks unassuming, but it is far from you basic chocolate cream pie! 

     I have a confession to make... I am a procrastinator. Not because I'm lazy, I am just so easily distracted. I'll find myself lingering too long on a project, reading an article instead of bookmarking it for later, folding laundry, building one too many lego robot/dinosaur combos with the boys, so many distracting possibilities and the time just slips through my fingers. This pie is what I make when I realize "holy cow its whenever o'clock and we have to leave in an hour and the four of us still need a shower, I need to paint my face, pack a bag, harness the power of the sun..." You know, the usual. So, I dash in the kitchen, hope and pray that I have enough heavy cream, throw this thing together and toss it in the freezer, all while husband-man dangles the boys by their ankles and runs them through the shower, that, or hoses them off in the yard... if it's summer time. As we are dashing out the door, I grab the pie and voila, I look like I'm a prepared, pulled together, responsible adult, when in reality I'm a scatter brained wreck. But, I'm a scatter brained wreck that can cook!

   Or, if I am in a particularly good brain space the day before, I make it ahead toss it in the refrigerator and have it ready to go, so that I can enjoy a leisurely day before I need to be anywhere. I'd like to say that is what happens most of the time, but that, my friend, would be a big, fat, stinking lie! I prefer it half frozen anyway. 

   It couldn't be simpler. Crust first. While it bakes and cools, you melt chocolate and some cream, fill the bottom of the base. Send it off to the freezer. Put the remainder aside to cool. Take out your frustrations on the rest of the cookies. Whip some cream with the now room temperature chocolate ganache, pour on top of the pie, then, you guessed it, back to the freezer. Next whip the remaining cream with the remaining sugar, then fold with half the remaining cookies and top the pie. Last step, add the remaining cookie crumbs and chill. 

Truffle Pie with Cookies and Cream Whipped Cream

serves 8-12

(click here to print)

1 14 oz package chocolate cream sandwich cookies (Oreos)

1/4 cup butter
12 oz semi-chocolate or butter sweet chocolate
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, divided

   Preheat oven to 350 F. In a sauce pan melt over low heat, melt the butter, watching carefully not to burn. In a gallon size freezer bag, pour in 2/3 of the cookies, seal and smash to crumbs with a rolling pin. Once the butter ins melted, pour in the butter. Shake until all the crumbs are coated with butter, pour into the pie pan and press firmly into a layer, going up the side of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until set. Place crust in the freezer to chill while you make the ganache.
   For the ganache, in a sauce pan over medium low heat, heat chocolate and 1 cup of cream stirring constantly, until melted and combined. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pie shell and return to the freezer. Place the remaining chocolate ganache in the refrigerator to cool. Only cool until it it no longer warm. It should not be thickened or set up, it should take no longer than 5 minutes in the refrigerator.
   While that is chilling add the remaining cookies to a gallon size freezer bag and smash, but still leaving some large pieces. Set aside.
   In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer whip 1/2 cup cream, 1/4 cup confections sugar and now cooled ganache. Whip until form soft peaks. Pour into the crust and return back to the freezer.
   Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and remaining 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar until soft peaks form, then fold in about half of the cookie crumbs. Pour into the middle of the pie and scatter on the top of the pie. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours or freeze for 30 minutes.

*I like to make this in the disposable cake tins you can see in the picture, because once it sets, you can pop this right out and place it on a pretty platter. Of course, a spring form pan would do the same, except that mine is ginormous, but if you have an 8 inch, it would be perfect. Of course, a regular pie pan if just fine too.

xoxo,
Ashley

Strawberry Handpies

So... These are technically, hand pies,

 but my boys call the "homemade poptarts without all that junky stuff." 

They are by no means healthy, but I can pronounce all of the ingredients, so there's that.

I don't make these often, they go fast, too fast. Little noses sniff them out and little hands grab them in the blink of an eye. They get gobbled up in a flash.

They are easy peasy though. Especially, if you use a food processor for the dough!

Then comes the filling.

Pick a shape, any shape.

Fill them up.

Bake them up.

 Cool and coat with glaze and sprinkles.

(Because everything is better with sprinkles.. or bacon.)

The proceed to stuff them in your face!

This crust is flaky, buttery and soft. The filling is sweet, tart and gooey, in the best possible way.

These two have sneaky fingers.

You know you want a bite!

Strawberry Handpies

Makes approximately 8
(click to print) 

for the dough:

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 - 6 tablespoons cold milk 

extra flour for rolling

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup strawberry filling (recipe follows)

strawberry glaze (recipe follows)

red colored sugar or sprinkles for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a food processor combine flour, butter and vanilla. Pulse until mixture looks like wet sand. Turn on and add milk through the funnel a tablespoon at a time. Checking dough between. Stop once the dough makes a ball. Remove dough from bowl, flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. After the dough has chilled roll it out on a cold, floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick and cut out into your preferred shape. Fill each one with a teaspoon of filling, unless you are using a larger shape then add more, Cover each one with another layer of dough and crimp edges with a fork. Mix egg and water together in a small bowl and brush over each pie. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 12 minutes, until gold brown. Once your pies are done allow to cool then spoon over 1 - 2 tablespoons of glaze for each pastry and top with sprinkles. Allow glaze to harden before eating. 

for the filling:

1 cup diced strawberries

juice and zest of a lemon

1/2 cup sugar

In a medium sauce pan combine all ingredients over low heat stirring often. Once the sugar has dissolved and berries have softened. Using a stick blender or an upright blender, puree the berries until smooth. Continue to cook until the berries have thickened to a thin jam like consistency. Cool just slightly before adding to the pies.

for the glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

2 -  tablespoons cold milk

In a small bowl stir together the sugar, extract and 1 tablespoon of milk, adding another tablespoon at a time until you have a thick but pourable consistency. 

   I'm sharing these in honor of my little helper's fifth birthday today! These are one of hos favorite things so I'm sharing them with you. This morning we are having, our family's birthday tradition, sprinkle pancakes with fresh strawberry syrup. Happy Birthday to my favorite Stink Monster!

xoxo,

Ashley

Coconut Watermelon Pineapple Granita

I'm holding on tight onto summer. 

I made this frozen and fruity concoction so that I could pretend fall isn't nipping at our heels.

This one is easy, not so quick but hey, the best things cannot be rushed.

This was a perfect dessert for a hot summer evening.

And when I say easy, I mean EASY.

Put your ingredients in a blender, get it good a combined, pour it into a dish and pop into the freezer.

Freeze it for an hour and scrape. Wash, rinse and repeat four times. 

Ok, don't literally do that, but you get the idea. 

I could just dig in to that dish of watermelon! It is so so good. My boys loved it too, all three of them. 

Coconut Watermelon Pineapple Granita
Serves 6-8
(click to print)

Watermelon Granita:
3 cups cubed seedless watermelon
honey to taste.

Pineapple Granita:
2 cups of cubed fresh pineapple
honey to taste

Coconut Granita:
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey

For each one, put the fruit and honey in a food processor, or blender. Pulse until there are no ore large pieces. Pour into a casserole dish or sheet pan and freeze for one hour, the take it out and scrap it with a fork and return to the freezer. Do this four times or more if needed. Serve immediately.

*You can see how quickly the coconut melts in my pictures.

Just imagine the fruity possibilities!

xoxo,
Ashley