Brown Sugar Spritz

Usually, I make spritz in December for the holidays. But there is no reason to save the cookie press for once a year. So when I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I decided to try spritz in the spring. Spritz cookies are made using a cookie press, and the dough is loaded into the barrel and pressed out through disk that creates a specific shape. The disks are different shapes, allowing for all sorts of designs.

The dough for these cookies is quite basic: butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and flour. These cookies would be great for kids who might not like fancy ingredients. If you don't have a cookie press, you can still make these cookies by either rolling the dough and using cookie cutters or shaping a ball of about a tablespoon of dough and flattening it with the bottom of a glass. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, the resulting cookies are delicious.

Brown Sugar Spritz

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Blend in flour. Knead several times until dough is soft and pliable. Press dough through a cookie press onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Allow to coo. Enjoy!

Ricotta Bread

This recipe is inspired by ricotta bread that MDS and I enjoyed at Shokolad Cafe. Previously, I posted about Buckwheat and Drunken Cherry Cake, inspired by the same place. I think that this recipe is a fairly close approximation of the bread we had at the restaurant.

The bread is a standard double-rise bread. The ricotta makes the bread quite rich. The cinnamon adds a nice touch, but could be left out of the recipe if you prefer. Otherwise, the recipe is relatively basic. I found that the first rise took a little longer, but the second rise produced two good-sized loaves. The resulting bread is unique, so give it a try. It is terrific fresh out of the oven or leftover and used for sandwiches.

Ricotta Bread 

1/2 cup warm water (120 degrees)

Package yeast

dash of sugar

4 cups flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup ricotta cheese

In a small cup or bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar; allow to stand for about ten minutes until foamy. In a large bowl, mix 3 cups of flour, olive oil, cinnamon, and ricotta cheese. Add the yeast. Mix until dough begins to come together. Turn out the dough onto a floured counter and knead in the remaining cup of flour until dough is smooth. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about two hours. Divide dough into two and shape into loaves. Place loaves on floured baking sheet. Allow to rise about one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Just before baking, cut a a few slashes into each loaf. Bake for about 40 minutes, until done. Cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Banana Drop Cookies

Mom has lots of cookie recipes in her recipe box. She made all types of cookies, but I don't remember these. Nevertheless, the cookies sounded delicious, so I decided to give them a try. The cookies are delicious, especially when they are still warm from the oven. And, even if you don't eat them all as they come out of the oven, warm them up in the microwave for a delicious treat.

When I made these cookies, I used a little bit more of the banana then the recipe calls for. I also left out the nuts. Although walnuts are very good when paired with banana, I brought these cookies to a party, so I left out the nuts to accommodate nut allergies. Whether you use nuts or not, these cookies are delicious.

Banana Drop Cookies 

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup mashed banana
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and bananas; beat until smooth. Add flour sifted with baking powder, baking soda, alternating with the milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in oats and nuts; drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Enjoy!