Jade Nicole Honors Grandma With Her Italian Ricotta Cookies

It doesn’t matter where you’re from when it comes to the holidays — just about everyone has at least a handful of memories that include grandma. The image of a grandmother preparing food is nearly ubiquitous across all cultures. Maybe your grandma steamed dumplings. Others folded braised meat into corn mush for tamales. Playboy model Jade Nicole’s grandma made Italian ricotta cookies.

Like many tasty recipes, these special cookies will keep the memory of Jade’s grandma for generations to come. This holiday, Jade’s family has put her in charge of desserts, and she’ll definitely be making a big pile of these cookies, which are perfect for the holidays. They’re perfect any time of year, really. Just be sure to adjust the color of the sprinkles accordingly.

How to Make Jade Nicole’s Italian Ricotta Cookies

“These cookies are my grandmom’s recipe. She recently passed away, and this feels like a special way to honor her memory,” Jade told Playboy. “My grandmom absolutely loved hosting, especially during the holidays. She would prepare an incredible spread of food and desserts and took so much pride in it. Every Christmas Eve, she made a big cookie tray filled with recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother. These cookies were always one of my favorites.”

For the cookies:

• 2 sticks butter, softened 
• 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
• 2 TBL vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the glaze:

• 4 – 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (can sub with vanilla extract, almond extract etc)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, ricotta cheese, and vanilla extract; mix until well combined. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture; mix well. Roll or scoop the dough into teaspoon-sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Icing the tops of the cookies with glaze and set Immediately top with sprinkles. 

Jade Nicole is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her now.