Play Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted and very finely ground
18 to 20 caramel candies, cut in half
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate morsels (at least 60% cocoa)
2 to 3 tablespoons large crystal sea salt or fleur de sel, as needed

1. Combine flour and salt in bowl; set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat to blend. Add flour mixture in batches, mixing between each. Stir in ground pecans. Cover and chill dough until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls with floured hands. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly. Bake 13 to 15 minutes.
5. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.
6. Combine caramel candies and milk in a saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels melt. Drizzle over cookies with a spoon.
7. Place chocolate in plastic bag in a bowl; heat on medium at 30-second intervals in microwave. Massage between intervals until chocolate melts. Cut a small hole in bottom corner of bag; drizzle chocolate across each cookie. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let sit until chocolate is firm. Makes about 3 dozen.

Recipe Courtesy of the Amrican Dairy Farmers, Relish Cooking With Kids, "Play Dough," December 2007.

Per cookie: 150 calories, 9g fat, 2g prot., 16g carbs., 0g fiber, 510mg sodium.

1⁄3 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1⁄3 cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄8 teaspoon each ground cardamom, ground coriander
seed and ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
¼ to 1⁄3 cup water
For decorating: decorative icing, pecans, dried fruit and dragees and possibly thin decorative cord or ribbon

1. Cream butter, shortening and brown sugar together in a medium bowl, beating until fluffy. Add spices; beat well.
2. Add baking soda, salt, flour, cider vinegar and just enough water to make a smooth, pliable dough. Roll into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375F. Press ball into a disk and roll out on a lightly floured board, to about 1⁄8 inch thick. Cut into shapes; transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet, placing cookies about ½ to ¾ inch apart. Chill dough in between batches.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks. Decorate. Makes about 3 dozen.

Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, Relish Cooking with Kids, "Play Dough," December 2007.

Per cookie: 80 calories, 4.5g fat, 1g prot., 10g carbs., 0g fiber, 95mg sodium.

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, freshly grated
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
Decorating sugar, silver dragees (small silver balls), optional

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine butter and sugar in bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, ricotta, lemon extract, zest and juice; blend well.
3. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; blend to combine. Add remaining flour in two parts, blending to combine, until a dough forms.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until very light golden. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for a few minutes and transfer to wire cooling rack.
5. While cookies cool, prepare glaze by creaming together butter and sugar. Continue to mix, gradually adding juice until desired consistency. Decorate cooled cookies adding dragees or decorating sugar, if desired, before icing sets. Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Recipe courtesy of the American Dairy Farmers, Relish Cooking with Kids, "Play Dough," December 2007.