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Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies with Bright Lemon Glaze

A stack of soft, powdered sugar-coated italian ricotta cookies resting on a black wire cooling rack.
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Bake soft, cake-like Italian ricotta cookies topped with a simple, tart lemon glaze. This recipe is straightforward and yields tender holiday treats.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, drained if very wet
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and the drained ricotta cheese.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the lemon zest.
  6. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set. They should remain pale.
  8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add a few drops more juice if the glaze is too thick.
  10. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze, or drizzle the glaze over them. Let the glaze set before serving.

Notes

  • Drain the ricotta cheese for at least 30 minutes using a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to prevent overly wet dough.
  • For an almond flavor, substitute 1 teaspoon of almond extract for the vanilla extract and use almond extract in the glaze instead of lemon juice.
  • These cookies freeze well before glazing. Store cooled, unglazed cookies in an airtight container for up to one month.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipesfleet.com/italian-ricotta-cookies-soft-lemon-magic/