Counter Pickles

This is another method, more than a recipe. My mom and I LOVE these pickles, just the thought of them makes the corner of my jaw tingle and my mouth water.

However, it must be said that these are not like the pickles you buy in the grocery store – nothing at all. I just made a batch of these and gave one to my husband, Paul, to taste – he claims I tried to poison him.

small pickling cucumbers, washed
white vinegar (cheap white vinegar – do not use Heinz, it’s too acidic)
garlic cloves, sliced or in large chunks, to taste (we like LOTS of garlic)
fresh bunch of fresh dill – fronds, flowers, etc. stripped from stems

Place cucumbers in a large pyrex or glass bowl.
Add garlic and dill.
Pour vinegar in bowl until cucumbers are covered.
Place an inverted plate, just smaller than the bowl, over the cucumbers and place a weight on it to keep the cukes, dill and garlic submerged.
Set aside in a cool place for about a week. (I kept mine in the basement on a shelf). Check throughout the week to make sure everything is still submerged. Stirring the contents of the bowl is optional.
You will be able to tell when the pickles are ready – they’ll look like pickles and not cucumbers. Trust me, you’ll know.

When ready, store in the refrigerator – either in the bowl, covered, or transfer the pickles, some dill, garlic and vinegar to cover into a jar with a lid.

Eat plain, or sprinkle with a little salt.

Ricotta Cookies

These are my mother’s favorite cookies. One year, as is our semi-tradition, we had gone to the IX Center for one of the big holiday shows and Miceli’s was handing out samples of small white cookies with a simple glaze. They were amazing: soft enough to melt in your mouth and sweet, but not too sweet. I can’t count how many times we went back for cookies, laughing at ourselves every time – thank goodness we could hide in the giant crowd.

A while after the show, I surprised my mom by making her a batch of these cookies for her birthday. She was thrilled! My sister, Anna, who wasn’t the most adventurous eater as a child, LOVED these and ate several as the rest of the family tried to hide our giggles. You should have seen her face when we told her she was eating cheese cookies! Ha!

I make these cookies every christmas – they have become as much a tradition at my house as christmas stockings.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tbs. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, with the mixer on a low speed, beat the sugar and butter until combined. Increase speed to high and beat in the ricotta, vanilla and eggs.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms.
4. Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly golden (cookies will be soft). With spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool.
5. When cookies are cool, prepare icing. In small bow, stir confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. With small spreader, spread icing on cookies.

Notes:
* A stand mixer will make your life so much easier. These will come together in no time at all. A hand mixer will struggle with this dough, unless it is on the more powerful end of the spectrum.
* I can’t vouch for the frosting instructions. I usually make extra frosting to ice other cookies. I just mix milk and powdered sugar until I get the consistency I want. Frosting can be colored with food coloring – I like paste or gel as it doesn’t water down the frosting any. I like the frosting a little on the thicker side so it doesn’t run off the cookies. If you have liquid color, you could just adjust by using slightly less milk. You could also sprinkle with sugar or use other decorations.
* I recommend frosting the cookies – they really do need that touch of sweetness.
*These cookies will really be light golden. If you cook them too much, they will not be as tender, which is their biggest selling point.