Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Lemon Ricotta Cookies. Just say it out loud. Are you thinking that they sound absolutely delightful? I can assure you that they are. These little Italian confections are part cookie and part moist little cakes with a sweet lemon glaze drizzled on top. They are so unassuming and just perfect when you are looking for something sweet to go with your afternoon tea. 

I first made these at least 10 years ago. I was asked to bring a dessert to an Easter Brunch and I wanted to bring something a little different. I spotted these cookies in a Lidia Bastianich’s cookbook. I love her recipes and knew they would be as good as they sound. Needless to say they were a hit at the brunch with more than one relative asking for the recipe. They know I don’t mind sharing recipes (obviously).

If for some reason you are thinking “ricotta cheese in cookies? That’s weird;”  first know that ricotta is frequently used in Italian desserts. So it is definitely not weird. Second, you will not taste the ricotta. The ricotta just makes the cookie/cake very moist. Trust me. It totally works.

The recipe given here is an adaption of Lidia Bastianich’s “Ricotta Cookies” found in her cookbook Lidia’s Italy in America. I looked around and found that she does have the recipe posted on her website. Here is the link if you want to check it out. http://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/ricotta-cookies/

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Makes 28 Cookies

Author Cakewalk Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups - all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon - baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon - kosher salt
• 1 cup - sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter - room temperature - 1 stick
• 2 eggs - room temperature
• 8 oz. - whole milk ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon - vanilla
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest - 1 or 2 lemons

For the Glaze

• ¼ cup - fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest - from 1 lemon
• 2 cups - confectionery sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and the butter together at high-speed until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, beat in 1 egg at medium speed and then repeat with the second egg.
5. Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest and the ricotta until you have a smooth batter.
6. Add in the flour mixture and on low-speed mix in until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
7. Using an small ice cream scoop, scoop out a ball of batter on to the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for about 18 minutes or until puffed up and the bottoms are a slightly golden brown.
9. Transfer cookies onto a cooling rack and cool completely. While the cookies are cooling you can make your glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the confectionary sugar, lemon juice and the lemon zest.
2. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and place back on to the cooling rack. The glaze will harden in about an hour.

Recipe Notes

* The recipe given here is an adaption of Lidia Bastianich's "Ricotta Cookies" found in her cookbook Lidia's Italy in America.

My pictures do not show lemon zest in the glaze topping. I forgot to add it in on picture day. Oh well……but I’m thinking the zest here is optional, because we still ate every one of these cookies by the end of the day.  Yum!