Lemony Mishap!

I am a firm believer in awesome music makes awesome things happen. Today for my after school chores and lesson planning I chose Mumford & Sons. This evening I've been rocking out to Florence + the Machine while baking a batch of my Chocolate Crackled Cookies, specially requested by an awesome student for her last day *sniff*. I might have been caught dancing around and lip-synching into a wooden spoon....but I think I recovered nicely. Besides, boys aren't really that observant. These cookies are going to be awesome. Evidently when I made these Lemon Ricotta Cookies for my dinner party I was not rocking out to any good music because I opened the oven to this:

THE HECKKKKKKK?!?!

Behold a baking conundrum! I read the recipe as both sheets go in at the same time so both sheets of dough were plopped down at the same time and spent the same amount of time outside the oven (my apartment was not overly hot either. I tried baking snickerdoodles once in 100 degree weather and it was melt city!). It mentioned nothing about keeping the dough chilled. The only thing I could think of was the melty batch was on the top rack so some of the heat was blocked? I'm a firm believer in one thing in the oven at a time or else you mess things up (also demonstrated by my soon to be updated stuffed pork recipe). However there was a third tray of cookies that went in by itself, also on the top rack, and was equally as melty. CONUNDRUM! Oh well, at least one batch was presentable for all the 'rents. Mr. Lawyer is certainly enjoying all the deformed ones by himself. 

I went with this recipe because I wanted to make lemon bars but then I remembered we had a container of ricotta cheese that needed to be used up so lemon ricotta cookies it was! They are a bit cakey but then I'm not overly familiar with this type of cookie. The lemon flavor was very pleasant. Other than the melty problem the recipe was quick and easy.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

(from Giada, Foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flout
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
5. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.