Stars are one of the classic symbols of Christmas, and we want to bring them to the table as well. The savory rosemary stars with buffalo ricotta are indeed flavorful and tantalizing cookies to offer as finger food appetizers, for buffets, or for an extravagant aperitif. They are very easy to make and can be prepared in just over half an hour. The base dough is that of scones but in a savory version; they contain no eggs, making them suitable for those who cannot tolerate them. These delightful savory stars are decorated with a topping of pure buffalo ricotta, to avoid covering and weighing down its already marked flavor.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 40 stars
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, New Year's Eve
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.5 oz milk
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3.5 oz butter (very soft)
- 0.07 oz instant yeast for savory preparations
- 0.07 oz fine salt
- 7 oz buffalo ricotta
Tools
- 1 Cookie cutter 5 cm star-shaped
- 1 Piping bag + small star nozzle
Instructions
1) Sift the flour and pour it into a mixer. Add the very finely chopped rosemary needles and all the other ingredients (except the ricotta) and knead until you obtain a soft but compact dough. If the milk is not enough to absorb all the flour, it may be necessary to add another scant teaspoon.
2) Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch and cut it with a star-shaped or other preferred shape cookie cutter. Knead the dough every time it is necessary to form the stars, until it is finished.
3) Place the stars on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake them in the preheated oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Let them brown on top.
4) Pass the ricotta, already drained of its whey, through a sieve. Then collect it in a bowl, and you will obtain a soft cream, perfect for decorations. Buffalo ricotta is already flavorful on its own, but you can enrich the frosting with grated table cheese and a pinch of ground pepper.
5) Remove the stars from the oven and let them cool completely before decorating with buffalo ricotta. Using a pastry bag and a star nozzle, create the classic star decoration with buffalo ricotta.
Extra Idea. If buffalo ricotta is not to your taste or if you cannot find it, you can replace it with sheep ricotta or goat cheese.
