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Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday Photo: Kitchen Progress & More Gadgets


Happy Friday!

This will probably be the last Friday I will be "kitchenless".   
The end is in sight. A few more pieces to the puzzle and all should be done.  
Because I've been craving them, one of the first things I'll be baking is these easy and delicious ricotta cookies. Don't balk..yes ricotta, the cookies won't taste like cheese. They come out like moist, cake like clouds of deliciousness.  I don't even add the glaze.  
I use the medium cookie scoop - see below - to scoop the tasty batter onto a cookie sheet.  
I've posted the recipe below. 
 If you make them, I'd like to know how you would rate them. I give them a  perfect "10".

 Here is the kitchen as of today:


Has being without a kitchen stopped me from buying more kitchen gadgets? I think not.
My daughter has this great Calphalon grill pan that I admired during our visit with her and my son in law at their home in Sahuarita, AZ home this past March.  I saw an Amazon price drop and quickly put it in my shopping cart, and in two days (with my Amazon Mom Prime) it was in my yet to be finished kitchen.



My gadget purchases don't always come to my home, I send them as gifts.  A  few days ago I did some Christmas shopping and sent these items to my 14 yr. old niece, Nicole, in California, with a "Do Not Open 'till Christmas" note on it.  She also shares a passion for cooking/baking and gadgets. When I visit, we have lots of fun in the kitchen.  When I told her how handy these gadget are, she put them on her wish list. Wish no more, Nicole, they'll be under the tree Christmas morning.  Can't wait to visit and cook with her again. 
Three sizes are available. The listing for the large size scoop would not post here, but is available through either of these two links.


Easy, simple recipe:

Crave-able Ricotta Cookies 
They are so delicious! Soft & light like little clouds. 

2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter - softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup ricotta
2 tsp lemon extract (options: vanilla, or anise)
Optional: grate a little fresh lemon zest into the batter

Glaze (also optional)

2 cups confectioners sugar
3 TBSP milk
a drop or two of lemon extract

Heat oven to 350. Coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.  Whisk flour baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
Beat butter & sugar together until blended.
Add egg, Ricotta and vanilla, beat till combined.
If using mixer; On low speed add flour mix and beat until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 for 14 min or until lightly browned around edges.
Let cool on sheets 3 min. then remove to rack to cool completely.
Top with glaze.

3 comments:

  1. Cheryl,

    Your kitchen looks beautiful! Can't wait for a full tour of the completed project! Is the woodstove something you already had and kept in the remodel? I think it's a great idea if you have power outages in the winter and all. How much do you use it for cooking? Or is it more for a heat source? Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kay,
    Thanks for the compliments. Yes we've always had that woodstove as well as another one that is in our parlor. They are a help in the winter to keep our heating bills down.
    As far as cooking, I don't use it that much. I do roast chestnuts and warm up orange peels for their fragrance. In the winter, there is always a pot of water or copper tea pot on top putting moisture in the house.
    It's hard to regulate the temperature for exact cooking, but during power outages I did use it. We were without electricity for 14 days. So the cast iron skillets and the woodstove were put to good use! I felt like a real pioneer woman.
    The kitchen is almost complete. Hope to be done by this Friday. Just in time for a Friday Photo.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think the wood stove is great for all of those reasons! Yes, it would be tricky to cook on, but it would be better than nothing...a super back-up plan, especially in a cold winter climate. Happy for you!

    ReplyDelete

Do you have any gadgets you'd like to see used? Do you have any favorites of your own? Post suggestions, ideas, reviews.