Ricotta Cheese Sugar Cookies

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. And yet, this afternoon found me in the kitchen, dutifully spreading pink glaze on cookies and dusting them with red sprinkles.

The hubby has strep throat, so he's had a pretty crappy weekend. Jack got hives a few days ago and has a cold, so his hasn't been a party, either. (And yet that smile, it's always there.) What cheers everyone up more than cookies?

So while the hubby was napping, the little man helped me in the kitchen. And by "helped," I mean, he threw his measuring spoons everywhere, including into the batter while the mixer was going. (One day I'll explain to him that you're supposed to dump the ingredients off the spoons.)

This is an adaptation of a recipe found in the most unlikely of places: the novel I was reading last week. It was Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs (I love escapist fiction). I think more authors should do this. I'm all about multitasking.

Ricotta Cheese Sugar Cookies
Makes 3-4 dozen

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
1 16-oz. container whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 c. flour

Glaze
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
A few drops almond extract (optional)
2-4 Tbsp. milk, half-and-half, or cream
Sprinkles or colored sugar, for decorating

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a mixer, combine butter and sugar until well blended. Mix in ricotta, eggs, and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt. Then mix in flour.

The dough will have the texture of mashed potatoes that have been sitting out too long. In fact, it looks like that, too. But it tastes very different, I assure you.

3. Drop teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 12-14 minutes, until cookies are golden on the bottom but still very light on top. Remove from pans and place on cooling racks.

5. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and almond extract. (When you just need a few drops of almond extract, pour them into the bottle's cap, first -- that way you won't accidentally spill too much into the glaze.) Add milk, starting with 1 Tbsp., until glaze has desired consistency.
6. Drizzle glaze over cookies and top with sprinkles or colored sugar.