- 3 C Ice Cream Base, very cold
- 1/2 C fresh, soft ricotta cheese
- 1/4 C wildflower honey
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 C chopped Ricotta Walnut Lace Cookies
Put the ice cream base, ricotta, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of soft-serve.
Quickly transfer the ice cream into freezer-friendly containers: Spoon in a layer of ice cream, sprinkle on some of the chopped cookies, and use a spoon to press them in gently. Repeat. Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface fo the ice cream so it adheres, then cover with a lid. It’s okay if the parchment hangs over the rim. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 6 hours.
RICOTTA WALNUT LACE COOKIES
FOR THE COOKIE:
- 1/3 C walnut halves
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 C extra-thick rolled oats
- 1/3 C granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
FOR THE ICING:
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 1/2 oz (about 1/2 c) requeson or queso fresco crumbled very fine (I used ricotta)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 3/4 C confectioners’ sugar, sifted
MAKE THE COOKIE:
Heat the oven to 350. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
Use a food processor (or a knife) to chop the walnuts to a coarse powder. In a bowl, pour the melted butter over the oats and stir until combined. Add the sugar and stir until combined. Add the ground walnuts, eggs, flour, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and stir.
Pour the batter onto the parchment paper and spread it out very very thin with a butter knife or a pastry spatula; spread it so thiin that you see some gaps in the batter. Slide the cookie sheet into the oven and bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the cookie is fully crisped nad is an amber golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool the cookie on the sheet ot room temperature.
ICING:
In a small saucepan, heat the butter, 2 tablesppons water, and the lemon zest until the butter is completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in half of the ricotta. Add the vanilla bean paste and the salt. Add the confectioners’ sugar, about one-fourth at a time, whisking hard after each addition to work out any of the clumps. Whisk in the remaining ricotta.
Pour the icing over the cookie in one thick layer, completely coating the top. You should have a layer of icing that is about half the thickness of the cooki. If possible, put the entire sheet pan in the freezer for 1 hour in order to harden the icing (to make it easier to cut the cookie) or let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours until the icing has hardened.
Cut the cookie into small bite-size pieces (about 1/4-1/2 inch) and store in the freezer until ready to use or for up to 3 months.
Salt and Straw