.png)
Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
The holiday season is the best time of year and for me, it's just about the only time I get excited about spending hours in the kitchen baking. I find that I don't bake a lot of time during the year because I'm not a huge fan of sweets - but if anything could change my mind, it's these cookies.
These are the perfect combination of sweet, tart, and oh-so-soft (almost cake-life). But despite the cake-life texture, they are light and airy instead of dense. There's a good chance that you've had ricotta cookies at some point in your life, whether you know it or not. The endless flavor combinations make them ideal for every holiday - not just Christmas.
In my house, we are big fans of citrus flavors, so making them with lemon was no-brainer. I tweaked the traditional recipe a little bit, and I think it helped make the cookie way softer and fluffy (hint: use 50/50 bread flour and all-purpose flour!) They are mom- and kid-approved! I really cannot stress how delicious they are, and how relatively easy they are to make!
A few kitchen accessories that help make these cookies a little easier to make are:
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese (whole or skim)
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt - set aside
2. Cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time
3. Mix in ricotta, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth
4. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients until a batter is formed
5. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone non-stick baking mats. Spoon the dough (approx. 1 Tbsp per cookie) onto the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F.
6. While cookies are baking, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to make the glaze. (I used our KitchenAid immersion blender with the whisk attachment to make the glaze and it was so quick and easy!)
7. After the cookies have cooled completely, drizzle the cookies with the glaze. Or use the back of the spoon to spread out the glaze. Let the glaze cool and harden before storing.
These cookies can be decorated with festive sprinkles or toppings depending on the holiday. I kept things simple and did a "messier" glaze drizzle and called it quits. Next time, I'll get more creative and add some sprinkles, edible gold, or decorations.
The cookies don't need to be refrigerated, but keep in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Bon Appetit!
Xoxo