Cookie Carnival Lemon Ricotta Cookies

July's Cookie Carnival Recipe is Lemon Ricotta Cookies.
I absolutely love lemon desserts. This cookie did not dissapoint. It was very light and lemony. If you are looking for a light summer treat try this great recipe. Thanks Kate and the Cookie Carnival for challenging me to try new recipes.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Makes: 44 cookies

Ingredients
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.
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar 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. 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.
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. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Cookie Carnival Strawberrry Shortcake Cookies

This month's cookie carnival challenge is "Strawberry Shortcake Cookies " from Martha Stewart.... I was totally excited to make these. They taste very similar to a biscuit shortcake/scone. We enjoyed them. I think they would be great as a "Brunch" item. I did shorten the baking time to 15 minutes and made 30 cookies using a medium pampered Chef scoop.....


COOKIE CARNIVAL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
Makes about 3 dozen.
12 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar*
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
* Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.

2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes( I only cooked mine for 15 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

ENJOY!!

Raspberry Jello Cake

Raspberry Cake from Alicia's recipes and the Cooking with Alicia and Anne April Event

Cake
1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix

4 eggs

2/3 c. oil
1 pkg. raspberry Jello(3 oz.)

1 pkg. (10 oz.) thawed frozen raspberries

Instructions
Mix eggs, oil and thawed berries with the cake mix and jello mix. Mix 300 strokes by hand or 3 minutes with a mixer. Pour into 9 x 13 greased and floured pan. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 50 minutes.

When cooled frost with a mixture of 3 ounce package softened cream cheese mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. (I used a traditional cream cheese frosting)

I think this would be great with fresh whipped cream .... The cake is sweet and the berries were tart. My kids enjoyed it.

Cookie Carnival Toasted Almond Lemon Bars

This is this month's Cookie carnival recipe. Holly of Phemomenon (http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/) is guest hosting the Carnival for April. These are a great alternative to the traditional Lemon Bars. I was a little sceptical about using almonds in this recipe but it turned out great. ENJOY!!

Toasted Almond Lemon Bars
From The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

Makes 1 dozen bars (I made 24 smaller bars)

"Everyone loves lemon bars. I make mine extra special by adding toasted almonds to the shortbread crust."

For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 Tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

For the Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 7 lemons)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

To Toast the Almonds:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and you can smell them. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Before You Start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Make a parchment "sling" by cutting two pieces of parchment paper, measuring 16 1/2 inches long by 12 inches wide (you can also use aluminum foil). Place one piece across the length, and the other across the width of the pan, with the excess hanging over the edges. You will use this sling later to lift the finished bar from the pan. Spray the sling with the cooking spray.

To Make the Crust:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt to combine. Add the cold butter in pieces and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball.

2. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the sides. (This crust, once it is baked, needs to act as a liner in which to pour the liquidy lemon filling. So be sure to do a good job of pressing the dough up the sides - no cracks!). Cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights ( you can use dried beans or uncooked rice as pie weights as well). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Carefully remove the pie weights and the liner and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the whole crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

I baked my crust for 3o minutes without the parchment and pie weights and it turned out great.

To Make the Filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the almond extract and flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice, and whisk to combine.

To Complete the Bars:
1. Pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm and lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

2. When cool use the parchment sling to lift the entire bar from the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into twelve 3 x 3 1/2 - inch bars. Remove from the pan and, using a small sifter, dust with the confectioners' sugar.

The bars keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks. Do not unwrap before defrosting. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

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Cooking with Alicia and Annie **Baked Pretzels

Here is another recipe from the cooking contest I spoke of in an earlier post http://alicia-annie.blogspot.com/2008/10/november-2008-blog-event.html There are tons of recipes to choose from. My kids thought homemade pretzels sounded yummy. They definitely preferred the cinnamon sugar ones. You could top these with tons of different items....use your imagination.

Baked Pretzels
1/2 pkg. or 1/4 tsp. dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp. Sugar

2 c. flour

Coarse salt

3/4 c. warm water

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 beaten egg with 1 teaspoon water


Instructions
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt. Blend in flour with fork on floured board. Knead dough until smooth. Pull off pieces of dough about size of golf balls. Roll into 14 inch ropes and twist into pretzel shapes (alphabet shapes are fun for young children.) Brush with beaten egg and water; sprinkle with salt. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Cooking with Alicia and Annie **Lasagna Bread

I received an email from Afton Ellsworth telling me about the recipe sites she and her husband have. They are also doing a cooking contest for November checkout
http://alicia-annie.blogspot.com/2008/10/november-2008-blog-event.html I chose Lasagna Bread ...... I made it for lunch today. It is very hearty and the family enjoyed it . It goes great paired with a green salad and fruit. Especially after all the treats from Halloween. I made a change or two due to personal preference. It really does taste alot like lasagna.
Lasagna Bread
1/2 lb. sausage ( I used Mild Italian )
1/2 lb. hamburger
3/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. leaf basil
1/2 tsp. leaf oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can tomato paste
1 c. creamed cottage cheese(I just beat my cottage cheese with a mixer)
1 egg
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cans crescent rolls( They do make a sheet sized one now)
2 (7x4 inch) pieces Mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. sesame seed ( I substituted with Italian Seasoning)


Instructions
Meat mixture: Brown meat, add all seasonings, onion and paste and simmer for 5 minutes. Cheese mixture: Combine cottage cheese, egg and Parmesan cheese.

Crust: On a large cookie sheet, press the crescent rolls into a 15x13 inch rectangle. Spoon half the meat mixture onto the dough, leaving a border on the sides and enough dough at the top and the bottom to enclose ingredients like a letter inside an envelope. Follow meat mixture with cheese mixture, then the other half of the meat mixture, placing the sliced Mozzarella cheese on last. Enclose ingredients pressing dough together with fingers. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. It took around 20 minutes in my oven. Serves 6