CHOCOLATE CHIP RICOTTA COOKIES

Lidia Bastianich gives an all-American favorite Italian flair in this cakey cookie recipe with ricotta cheese. Even my daughter, Catherine, who professes to detest ricotta, loved how it makes the cookies soft and smooth.

Makes: 3 dozen cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs 8 ounces fresh ricotta

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Kosher salt

1 cup mini chocolate chips (or more to taste)

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional

1 . Preheat oven to 3 5 0 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2 . Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs. Beat until smooth. Add ricotta and vanilla and beat to combine.

3 . Sift the flour and baking powder right into the bowl, and add a pinch of salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

4 . Drop cookies in heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies, in three rows of five. Bake, rotating the trays from top to bottom halfway through, until cookies are puffed and golden at the edges, about 1 8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

5 . Dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar before serving, if desired.