It's About Thyme…

…I made some cookies! With thyme…

May is bidding good-byes now, promising us lazy days of summer. So does my mini-series of recipes with herbs. I hope it inspires you to grow your own herbs, in the garden or on a window cill, and use them fresh every day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, turning your creations into a work of art, both tasteful and healthy. Truth be told, I haven't covered all the herbs out there, but hopefully the idea of using herbs passes on.

Having presented mainly savory dishes, I'm now off to dessert: cookies!

I got this idea first from my Savory Baking book. It was a recipe for Thyme and Lemon bars. Thyme and lemon is such a classic flavor combination! But I wanted to make something sweet. Then, I came across a recipe from a Russian food journal. It was a recipe for a cookie made with farmer's cheese and lemon. So I married these two to create my own variation.

I didn't use farmer's cheese, it is a bit overpriced rather than being overpraised around here. Thus, I used good 'ol whole milk Ricotta. Plus, I tuned down the lemon flavor and cranked up the thyme! The cookies came out soft and very flavorful, but not too sweet.

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Thyme Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

WET

1 stick {4 oz} of unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 container {15 oz} whole milk ricotta cheese

zest of 1 medium lemon {1 T spoon}

handful of thyme sprigs {10-15}

leaves stripped and mushed with mortar and pistil to make about 1 T spoons

DRY

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1 t spoon baking powder

1/2 t spoon salt

• Preheat oven to 375° F
• In a bowl, beat butter with sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, about 3 minutes on high speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Add ricotta and continue. Then add lemon zest and thyme. Mix it all well with the mixer for another minute.

• Add dry ingredients, mix the batter. The batter should be soft and creamy.
• Place half of the batter in a pastry bag with a cookie tip and squirt about a table spoon on a prepared cookie sheet {lined with silicone liner or parchment paper} leaving 1 inch in between. Or, just spoon the batter with a spoon.

• Bake for 15 minutes or until they turn lightly brown.

The May may be over, but the herbs are still growing, so don't forget to add them to your list of ingredients.