Ricotta Cupcakes

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

For Cake

cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 lrgs eggs, beaten lightly

teaspoon pure vanilla extract

cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon salt

Freshly grated nutmeg

For Filling

3 pounds ricotta cheese

1 cup sugar

4 lrgs eggs, beaten lightly

teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter, add sugar, and beat until fluffy.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to butter mixture, 1/4 at a time, until it forms a dough. Chill, covered loosely.

Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough, roll out, cutting into 3 - inch rounds. Press into muffin tins.

For filling, combine ricotta, sugar, eggs, cinnamon. Spoon into shells and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool in tins for 15 minutes. Remove and cool thoroughly.

Makes 36 cupcakes. If you like you can dust with powered sugar.