March 19, 2008

Tout Sweet!






Ok, sometimes I feel light and fluffy. And syrupy sweet! Wee! It’s almost Spring! It’s not often, so enjoy my foray into sweetness and light. I’m sure I’ll be back into the complicated culinary darkness soon enough. Something with prunes, bloody meat and a tantrum.

All I can say is that I had a bottle of blackberry brandy left over from an ill-fated bundt cake experiment, a bag of frozen blackberries (there are no nice ones in the stores here yet…and I’m not buying them from South America….my man, Al Gore and I think that’s way too much petro to get some blackberries up to Arizona, for Pete’s sake!) and some leftover ricotta. And a lemon.



These are very pretty cookies. Little jewels. And did I mention light and fluffy? The syrupy glaze is wonderful and next time I’d make double the amount and save some for waffles. Or ice cream. Ok, maybe ice cream with the cookies and syrup all over both.



Oh, btw…they are messy. I’d put them on something to catch the drips when you dip them…and they’re fragile. They behave and taste better if you let them sit overnight. These aren’t cookies you’d stack in a cookie jar. Unless you want a lemon-ricotta-blackberry glop of mess.





They’d be perfect on a lovely glass plate, artfully arranged, as a light dessert, perhaps with a glass of Port, say, um…
2003 Croft. Yes, indeedy, these are dessert cookies, not lunchbox cookies. Very delicate and exquisitely colored.


Cause that’s how I roll today…all sweetness and light. Rainbows, puppies, Smurfs, and dragonflies. That’s me.


Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Blackberry Brandy Glaze

Makes about 32-36…I lost count, cause I ate a bunch of them

For Cookies:
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons freshly finely grated lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

For Glaze
1 cup blackberries (mine were frozen, unthawed)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup blackberry brandy (for non-alcoholic cooks, try some blackberrry syrup, used for flavoring coffee)

2 tablespoons butter


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease/parchment baking sheet(s)
2. Cream together sugar and butter in large bowl.
3. Beat in egg. Stir in ricotta cheese and vanilla. Add lemon zest and blend well.
4. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda with a fork.
5. Add in manageable increments, the flour to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix well.
6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. They don’t spread much, so about 2 inches between each one.
7. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes…they don’t brown – check by tapping with finger. Should just barely give.
8. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely.

While cookies are baking and cooling, make the glaze:
1. Mix blackberries, sugar, and brandy in medium sized saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup or a thick syrupy drip.
2. Remove from heat and strain into shallow bowl. Add the butter while mixture is still warm and stir to incorporate.
3. Turn cooled cookie upside down and dip into glaze. Turn right side up and place on something to catch the drips (foil, etc.). Let “set up” for several minutes. Plate and serve.


16 comments:

RecipeGirl said...

They sound good- and they look a little like shortcakes.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

They do look like little bit-size shortcakes....so pretty on a plate as well:D

Anonymous said...

Who are you and where's Catherine? Seriously this looks delicious!

Candy

Peter M said...

To me, they look like wee cheesecakes but hey...I'd eaten a dozen too!

Jenny said...

Mmmm! These look incredible, I love the deep red color. Great pics too girl!

Deborah said...

These look so amazing!

Helene said...

Love the title! I love foods and treats that require one to use his/her fingers :) They look delicious!

Emily said...

These cookies sound scumptious. Really gourmet sounding, you know? I love the color.
This post just screamed rainbows, puppies, and happiness.

Cakespy said...

Oh my. Hold on, I am coming over for some of these!!! They look and sound so good.

Birdie said...

These look ooey and gooey-- Right up my alley!

Catherine Wilkinson said...

recipegirl,
they DO look like mini shortcakes, don't they!

val,
ok, I think I need to rename these!

candy,
HEY CANDY! I have no idea where she went...I just hit her over the head and took her mixer!

peter,
oh brother, now they're CHEESECAKES! How about I rename these suckers, "Lemon-Ricotta-Short-Cheese-Cakes"? lol

jenny,
oh, they're red alright...in fact, when I look at the pics now, they look...like bloody stumps. gee.

deborah,
they look very dramatic, but the taste is very delicate and subtle.

tartlette,
I am a mere neophyte compared to your awesome baking prowness...so I appreciate your kind words!

emiline,
I want a puppy! I've been lurking at the Humane Society! It'll be the fattest puppy in the universe!

cakespy,
why, thank you ms. cakespy! Your compliment is making me blush!

birdie,
I know...ooey, gooey, gets me every time!

Anonymous said...

Oh my. After i'm done eating them, I want to roll around on the tray to have their sticky gooeyness cling to my clothes... so i can have a snack while on the go later.

That's how good they look!

Unknown said...

These are obviously not meant to be eaten in small doses - like one or two. Oh no....That wouldn't do at all. I think about 6 or 7, with that glass of port sounds just about right!

Julie said...

Geez' Catherine these sound awfully good and such a pretty color.

Heather said...

Those do look like little cheesecakes. And with the ricotta, I bet they taste a bit like it too.

Catherine Wilkinson said...

zen!
you rolled up in gooey mess...you're my kind of guy!

toni,
well, at least the whole bottle of port!

julie,
the color was spectacular! Really good stuff!

heather,
the ricotta was very subtle..more like a texture thing. You know, maybe these should have been in little paper cups?

 
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"The Dish" by Catherine Wilkinson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.