Cannoli Cookies

This recipe is from Jessica Battilana, who says these cookies don’t have the crunch and squish of a real cannoli, but they do share its flavors. She writes: The batter has to be chilled for a couple of hours before you roll and bake them, but it will keep up to a week in the fridge, so you can bake a pan of them at a time. The dough is very sticky, so you should wet your hands before you roll the batter into balls, and do try and resist the temptation to make them larger than I specify: They puff and expand when baked, and are the perfect two- bite cookie. You can freeze the baked cookies, too, but don’t ice them beforehand, as the icing will crack and flake off.

Cookies

1 ½ sticks ( 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room

temperature

1 ½ cups ( 297 grams) sugar

15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3 ¾ cups ( 450 grams) all- purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 ½ ounces chocolate- dipped orange peel, finely

chopped ( about ½ cup)

Glaze

2 cups ( 227 grams) confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon orange juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons toasted pistachios, finely chopped, for

sprinkling

To make the cookies: In the bowl on a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the ricotta, orange juice and zest and mix on medium speed until combined; scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl again. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at time and mix until just combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, gradually add in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Stir in the chopped candied orange peel by hand until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to one week.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, arrange the oven racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone pan liners or parchment paper. Wet your hands and use a teaspoon to scoop 1 tablespoon of batter; roll into a ball and set on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Return the remaining batter to the refrigerator while the first batch bakes.

Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the pans from top to bottom and bake for 7 to 8 minutes more, until the cookies are browned on the edges and light tan on top. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. The baked cookies can be transferred to a ziptop plastic freezer bag in a single layer and frozen; thaw and glaze them before serving.

To make the glaze: When the cookies are completely cool, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, orange juice and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Working with one cookie at a time, dip it top- side down into the glaze, then twist it slightly as you invert it ( this keeps the glaze from dripping off the edges. Return to the cooling rack and sprinkle with some of the toasted pistachios.

The cookies will keep in a tin for a few days, though the icing will crack and the cookies will get softer with time.

Jessica Battilana Jessica Battilana’s cannoli cookies for the holidays.