Ricotta Cookie Re Mix: Changing Things Up

I have a confession to make! I am addicted to the Ricotta cookies!  So much that I am mixing things up a bit and baking new flavours.  The first time I add 2 tbsp of cocoa powder to help a much needed chocolate fix.  This time I went with peanut butter.  I do love peanut butter, it is one of my favourites.

That's the 2 kg jar of peanut butter!

After the first batch came out of the oven, they looked just the same.  They didn't spread at all.  I figured that the peanut butter probably doesn't spread the way butter would to I squished the rest of the cookies with 2 fingers before baking the rest of them.

They still tasted amazing....

 These cookies are a hit!  The peanut butter flavour isn't overwhelming, but just enough.  I may add more cocoa powder next time for more of a chocolate hit.  The white chocolate chips however where so nice in these cookies.  I highly recommend these cookies....go make them!!   Right now!!

Ricotta Cookie Re-Mix – Chocolate Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies

Printable version

• 1/3 Peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup light ricotta cheese
• 1 egg (or 1/2 a banana, thoroughly mashed and 1/4 tsp baking powder)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour (minus 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

In a bowl mix together the peanut butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup white sugar until creamed together and fully combined. The mixture will look damp and will stick together when pressed.

Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 egg, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and continue mixing until well combined.

 

 

In a separate bowl whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt.  Little Kitchen confession: I sometimes add all the dry ingredients to the same mixing bowl on top of the wet ingredients, mix with a spoon, then mix the dry ingredients into the wet....just to save a bowl!)

Add the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and mix to completely incorporate the flour.

 

Stir in 2/3 cup (or more) white chocolate chips.

Scoop 1 tbsp portions onto a lined baking sheet, flatten slightly with 2 fingers and bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Of course I still had some of the delectable Swiss meringue butter cream left over....sandwich cookies are in order!! I wonder if I should try these with a peanut butter frosting??

Until next time, stay warm and eat well!

Ricotta Vanilla Pancakes

Let me just start off by telling you how difficult it is to concentrate when there are Nerf guns shoot darts all over the living room....it is even more difficult to stay out of it when you have your own Nerf gun!! 

OK, with that out of the way, I can now talk about food. Pancakes.  Ricotta pancakes to be precise. I found a lovely looking ricotta pancake recipe here at Liv Life for blueberry ricotta pancakes...they really look fabulous, as does her other blog entries.  I didn't have any lemons or blueberries on hand, or the spelt flour so I needed to adapt and experiment a little.  When making pancakes of any sort in this house, I also must double the recipe....hungry  teen....

Since I did not have any blueberries on hand to make the scrumptious sauce, I served the pancakes with some fresh fruit, bacon and maple syrup!!

Ricotta Pancakes

 Adapted from Liv Life

Print recipe

1 cup flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Healthy grating of nutmeg

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups low fat ricotta

4 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tbsp lemon juice with enough milk to make 1 cup)

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, set aside.

This photo is missing the flax, it was a last minute addition that worked beautifully!

 In another bowl, thoroughly mix together the wet ingredients.  This is your chance to mix the wet ingredients all together and make sure the vanilla bean seeds are well mixed in.

Split and scrape the vanilla bean, make sure all of those little beadlettes of vanilla goodness go into the we mixture.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined...the fewer turns of the spoon, the better.

 Heat a skillet or non stick pan, grease lightly with a brush of oil or melted butter.

Scoop ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet.  Let the pancakes cook until bubbles form on the tops and they appear dry on the edges.

Flip the pancakes and cook a few minutes more until browned.

Move cooked pancakes to a foil lined dish to keep warm until you have finished cooking all the pancakes.

Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

 Until next time, stay warm and eat well!