I like to make them for teas, since they are not super sweet and look colorful, and also for Hanukkah, with a dusting of goofy blue sprinkles. This makes about 3 dozen. Note the recipe suggests refrigerating the dough for a few hours, so plan ahead.
Cookie Dough
¼ c (= half stick) butter, softened
5/8 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 c part-skim ricotta (7-8 oz) - this is ~half a 13 oz container
2 c. flour (as you know by now, I usually put in ~ ¼ whole wheat)1 t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t salt
Cookie Glaze
1 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 to 1½ T orange juice or eggnog. GO EASY ON THE LIQUID. It's easier to add more than to work with runny icing. I make this mistake most every time.
In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed - I have always just used a handmixer. Beat about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and ricotta until well blended.
In a second medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until well-blended. Cover and refrigerate and hour or two for easier shaping.
To bake: heat oven to 350. Spray baking tins or mini-muffin trays. If you use trays, shape level tablespoons of dough about 1" apart. You could do a combination of both.
Bake about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.
In the meantime, prepare the icing. Stir the confectioners sugar with the liquid until smooth, adding the liquid very sparingly and incorporating it before adding more. Add just a drop at a time. Really!
When the cookies are slightly cooled, pick up each cookie/mini-scone and dip it in the icing, and then the sprinkles, orange zest, lavendar, or slivered almonds.
The icing hardens - what a treat, and so pretty, too!
Other ideas for color on the icing: lavender, or tiny orange zest peels from a microplane zester.