Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Posted: November 1st, 2011 | Jessie | | Tags: cookies, lemon, ricotta | No Comments »
I saw this recipe on an episode of Everyday Italian years ago. I was intrigued because I love lemon desserts and cheese, but didn’t get around to making it until last week when I had a container of ricotta in my fridge that needed to be used up. These cookies aren’t the best looking thing I’ve ever made and I originally hadn’t planned on putting them up on the blog because I think they appear a bit sickly, but the positive reaction from my coworkers made me realize the recipe is a real gem.
These cookies have the texture of a little cake. They are only subtly sweet and would be perfect with a cup of tea. They would be a nice addition to a holiday cookie platter, since the tang of the lemon would provide a nice balance to many of the richer holiday treats.
I was very happy with this recipe, but on each sheet of cookies 1 or 2 went crazy and spread all over the place. I’m not sure if there’s a hot spot in my oven or if I didn’t mix the batter thoroughly enough, but I probably lost 8 cookies total.
You can find a printer friendly version of the recipe here. The only changes I made was using a smaller amount of batter (about a rounded teaspoon) and then reduced the baking time to 12 minutes. I would also recommend glazing the cookies over a wire rack with a piece of parchment placed underneath so you can catch and salvage the glaze that runs off the cookies.
Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese3 tablespoons lemon juice1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons 1 rounded teaspoon for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 12-13 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. I was able to move the cookies to a cooling rack after 5 minutes.
Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.
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