Italian Christmas Cookies With Cocoa And Orange Liqueur Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt.
• In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, softened butter, ricotta cheese and lemon peel with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until fluffy; scrape side of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until smooth. Stir in vanilla. On low speed, beat flour mixture into sugar mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Using floured fingers, shape dough into 54 (1-inch) balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In small bowl, beat powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Using knife, spread 1/2 teaspoon frosting on each cooled cookie; immediately top with sprinkles. Let stand about 30 minutes or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Beat white sugar and butter together in a separate bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; beat in eggs. Stir creamed butter mixture, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons liqueur, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into flour mixture until dough is just combined.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding flour as needed to keep from dough sticking to your hands. Roll dough, 1 to 2 tablespoons per cookie, in your hands and form a log-shape; twirl log into desired shape. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Stir confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons liqueur, water, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract together in a bowl until icing is creamy. Dip cookies into icing. Place a piece of waxed paper under a wire rack and place cookies on wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in ricotta and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a large bowl, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to reach spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles. Store in the refrigerator.