Description
Make tender, melt-in-your-mouth Italian ricotta cookies topped with a bright lemon glaze. This easy recipe yields soft, pillowy cookies perfect for holidays.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, drained if very wet
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar
- For the Glaze: 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- For the Glaze: 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in the ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until just combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. The cookies will not spread much.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. They should remain soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or more juice for a thinner one.
- Once cookies are completely cool, dip the tops into the lemon glaze or drizzle the glaze over them. Let the glaze set before serving.
Notes
- Drain excess liquid from the ricotta cheese using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth for 30 minutes to prevent overly sticky dough.
- If you prefer an almond flavor, substitute 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract for the vanilla extract and use almond extract in the glaze instead of lemon.
- For a festive look, sprinkle the wet glaze with colored sanding sugar.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg