When I was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer (1 in 8 women are, nowadays, you know), I said to one of my five sisters, “I’d have a pity party, but I wouldn’t know what to serve.” She thought that was funny, and when she was coming up to our town (she lives 500 miles away) she called and set up a lunch date with her and two of my other sisters who live in the area. When I answered the door to go, all three sisters were standing there with giant pink boxes that said “The Pity Party Project,” and they were dressed in bright pink t-shirts with the same logo. They had brought a Pity Party to me, and the menu consisted of Hummus with PITY chips, SAD-wiches, SORROW Salad, Black-eyed PLEAS Caviar, Red WHINE, TEAR-amisu, Boston Cream CRIES, and When Life Gives you LEMONS Cookies. Since they are all excellent cooks, the food was wonderful, and we had a lot of laughs.


48 Servings

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons softened butter
zest of 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until very light.
2. Add the eggs, ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
3. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a fine strainer set over the mixture; shake through
4. Mix on low speed, scraping the sides a few times, until well combined.
5. Scoop the dough by tablespoons onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden at the edges.
7. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up then transfer to a cooling rack set on a large baking sheet.
8. Glaze:Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, butter, and lemon zest in a small bowl and continue whisking until smooth.
9. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons into the middle of each cookie and brush to the sides.
10. Let the glaze harden for 2-3 hours before storing in an airtight container.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 113 Calories from Fat 34
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 30% Protein 7% Carb. 63%

Nutrient Amount per Serving:
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 20 mg
Sodium 66 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 4% Calcium 0% Iron 1%