Friday, August 10, 2012

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I will never get tired of the chocolate chip cookie. There are many variations and it is crazy how I never get bored of trying a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. How was this recipe inspired? Well, ricotta cheese. First of all, I do not like ricotta cheese. However, I bought some to make stuffed shells for a work potluck because I know people would like it. I don't usually eat what I bring to a potluck...for some reason, it just makes me feel weird, so it wasn't a big to not eat the stuffed shells. However, I had to give it a little taste to make sure I wasn't serving something terrible. Always test your product! To my surprise, the stuffed shells weren't too shabby. I'm not trying to toot my own horn but I learned it's not that I don't like ricotta but it's the amount I often feel there is an excessive amount in what I eat. 

Anyways, the store only sold a huge container of ricotta cheese so I had a LOT of ricotta cheese leftover so I had to do something with it. The first thing that came to my mind was a ricotta pound cake but I didn't want something so heavy and was going to weigh me down...literally. I started searching online to see if there were cookie recipes that ricotta cheese and voila,I found this recipe.

While the cookies do not have a distinct ricotta flavor, the cheese adds a nice texture to the cookies. The cookies turned out to be fluffy, soft, and moist. If you're a fan of the cake-like cookies, this is perfect. The cookies were tasty, not too greasy, and is a great variation of the chocolate chip cookies. Even if you overbake the cookies, the cookies remain moist and soft. No need to worry about the cookies turning hard the next day...if they last until then!



Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies
compliments of Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the ricotta cheese, butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, whipping until well blended and slightly fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. To the wet mixture, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mixing well to combine. To this mixture, add the three types of chocolate chips, again stirring until well blended.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Once chilled, use an ice cream scoop to place golf ball sized pieces of dough on baking sheets covered with parchment paper or cooking spray.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.

Makes about 12 cookies

6 comments:

lisa g. said...

These look so good! Do the cookies have much spread to them? What is the sweetness level? I've have a delicious vanilla bean ricotta cheese cookie w/vanilla bean glaze. They are moist tender delightfully engorging cookies! I keep them in the fridge uncovered and they get better as each day goes by. So Im interested in your recipe. How do you think they would taste if kept in the fridge cold? I bet melted milk choc drizzle would be tasty too.

Raquel said...

Hi Lisa! They actually don't spread that much during cooking. I don't find these cookies to be too sweet but sweet enough. That's interesting that your cookies get better in the fridge uncovered. I haven't tried it with these cookies...

You might have to share your recipe with me. :)

lisa g. said...

Hi Raquel! I will give you the recipe tomorrow, do you want it posted here? These ricotta vanilla bean & glazed cookies are big 'cherry cordial' size cookies. It makes 'alot' of cookies so plan ahead for time. I use a one tablespoon size cookie scoop, which is a half-ounce size small scoop. Make sure its stainless steel cause I keep the dough in the fridge between baking times and it is hard to scoop out. But the effort/muscle work will yield delights! They really dont spread during baking. They taste best once theyve cooled off but keeping them in the fridge is a whole new level! They dont get hard, dry or brittle because of the ricotta. I just had to make room the fridge for the cooling racks as I couldnt stack anything directly on top of them. I purchased the vanilla bean paste at Walmart in the 'crafts' supply section of the store. Ive found out that not all Walmarts have it. But hopefully your store does. Its a small bottle of Madagastar Vanilla Bourbon Paste (a thick liquid like syrup). Nothing tasty direct from the bottle. It has real vanilla bean specks/caviar in it. I dont blog but Im so happy someone requested a recipe from me!

lisa g. said...

Hi Raquel, heres the recipe for:

Soft Ricotta Cookies with Vanilla Bean Glaze

1 Cup- 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter,
(unwrap the butter & on a plate slice into tablespoon slices & leave it out of fridge 30 minutes only).
2 Cups White Sugar
2 Large Eggs
in 5 ounce Ricotta Cheese- Whole Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste
4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon

DO NOT USE HIGH SPEED OR THE BUTTER WILL GET WARM/HOT. USE MEDIUM SPEED THRU-OUT THE ENTIRE PREP OF THE RECIPE.
THE GOAL IS TO KEEP THE BUTTER COLD. DO NOT OVER BEAT IT.
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl on medium speed mix the butter just until smooth. It may take 2 - 3 minutes. Dont over beat it.
Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste and mix into the butter just until creamed about 3 minutes on medium speed.
Add ricotta cheese and mix until smooth.
Gradually add the flour mixture and on low/medium speed, mix it until a dough is formed. You may need a rubber spatula to finish mixing.
DONT OVER BEAT OR USE HIGH SPEED WITH THE FLOUR OR YOU'LL GET TOUGH COOKIES.

PREHEAT OVEN 350°
Tight wrap your cooling racks with heavy duty foil & set them aside.
Using a one tablespoon cookie scoop drop the dough on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
*BAKE 12 minutes.
Then immediately place cookies on foil-lined cooling racks.
(I didnt have enough cooling racks so I foil wrapped big dinner size plates).
*The cookies will just start getting golden brown on the bottoms & around the bottom edges. Thats all you need.

They do not spread, so they do maintain
their shape. The size/shape is bigger than 'cherry cordial' candies.
I kept the dough, covered in the fridge between baking times. I did this so the butter would stay cold. It did get very stiff and hard to scoop. You will need a strong arm and patience to scoop it or have someone else do it!
HOWEVER, if you keep your dough out of the fridge for easier scooping just make sure its covered and in a cool place where the butter in the dough wont get warm.

GLAZE

3 Cups Powdered Sugar- sifted
6 Tablespoons Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Bean Paste

Into a bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Whisk in milk, vanilla extract & vanilla bean paste until smooth.
When the cookies are cool dip them into the glaze & place on racks.
Other tips: you can hold the cookies over the bowl and spoon-drip the glaze onto the cookies.
*The EASIEST way is to use a Pastry Brush to glaze the cookies as they sit on the racks.
Place the cookie-filled racks in the fridge.
DO NOT COVER, WRAP OR STACK THE COOKIES. (I needed to make room in my fridge).

Keep them in the fridge. They do not get hard, dry or brittle. They taste better and get even more moist & tender as the days go by. The cookies taste great & are delightfully addicting & have a great mouth-feel when eating them. Thank you ricotta cheese!
ENJOY!

lisa g. said...

Oh no! Its 15 ounces Ricotta Cheese! Please can you correct that Raquel?

Raquel said...

Hi Lisa! Thanks for the recipe. I'm excited to try it!

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