My Real Lemon Ricotta Cookies

My first attempt to make lemon ricotta cookies did not go very well; I threw them out, as a matter of fact. So don't ever think that just because I have a website with cookie recipes on it I do not have blunders or cookies; I want to forget that attempt ever existed.

I thought these were such a great idea, but what am I doing wrong! So I looked around for another recipe that I could torture and found one that I thought had promise.

I am a firm believer that whatever you put into your cookie will make or break the cookie, not just on baking but, of course, taste. So I used a real lemon for the zest and juice. I looked at some of the shortcut products and decided to use my lemon for the juice, and I think it has a better taste. My favorite whole milk ricotta cheese is Galbani.

I do have a few other cookies on my website that uses ricotta as an ingredient. It has been almost 3 years since I made this recipe, and I have learned a few tricks along the way. So here are a few you can try that are my own creation:

How to make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

 I enjoy these as a slow, calming recipe. The dough needs to chill overnight at the very least, so it's perfect to mix up the dough after dinner one night to be baked off the following afternoon.

Set out your ingredients before dinner so they can come to room temperature. I find it so much easier to work with when all the ingredients are room temperature.

Give your dry ingredients a quick whisk in a bowl and set them aside to work with the wet ingredients. If you don't already do this, I highly recommend cracking each egg into a small bowl first. This way you can catch any shell pieces before they go into the dough.

Once chilled, use a medium scoop. The dough will still be soft while cold, so just do your best. Bake for 15 minutes and then let them rest on the sheet at least 10 minutes, much longer than most cookies. They won't be brown but will look 'set' on the outside. They need this rest so they don't fall apart as you transfer them to the rack.

This glaze is a bit on the thicker side, so I like to spread it with a spoon to the edges. It won't run everywhere on its own. Don't you love the look of the fresh lemon zest?

Recipe

My Real Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Barbara Hall

What you put into a cookie is what comes out. Using the freshest ingredients gives you a traditional lemon ricotta cookie your Italian grandmother will love.

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4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Bake Time 15 minutes mins

Chill 12 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Holiday

Cuisine Italian

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 212 kcal

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Ingredients

 

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COOKIE DOUGH

• ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted 1 stick
• 2 cups (400 g) Sugar white 400 g
• 2 (2) Eggs room temperature
• 3 Tablespoon (3 Tablespoon) Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon zest packed
• 15 ounces (15 ounces) Ricotta cheese whole milk
• 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour 300 g
• 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder 4 g
• 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Kosher Salt 5 g

GLAZE

• 1 ½ cup (180 g) Powdered sugar 188 g
• 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon zest packed
• 3 Tablespoon (3 Tablespoon) Lemon juice

Instructions

 

COOKIE DOUGH

• Weigh or measure into a bowl the flour, baking powder, salt, and whisk to blend than set aside.
• Take one lemon and zest into a small bowl. I then cut the lemon in half and cut off the ends and juice both halves. One lemon should give you just a little more than three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
• I use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer on medium speed to blend the sugar and butter together. I blended it for about 6 minutes.
• Add one egg at a time making sure each egg is incorporated, then add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend thoroughly for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Take the bowl from the mixer and get a nice spatula (I have a one piece spatula I love) and fold in the flour, salt, and baking powder mixture till it has all been incorporated. Take plastic wrap and tightly cover the bowl and put into the refrigerator. This dough needs to be in the refrigerator overnight so I made the dough after dinner and baked the cookies the next afternoon.

NEXT DAY

• Preheat oven to 375° Line 2 cookie pans with parchment paper.
• I use an OXO medium cookie scoop and scoop 12 mounds onto a pan. Bake for 15 minutes and leave on the pan after taking them out of the oven for at least 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. They will look pale in color, but the outside will be set.

GLAZE

• Zest and juice one whole lemon and add to the powdered sugar. After the cookies have cooled, take a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon of the glaze and add to the top of the cookie, use the back of the measuring spoon to spread it around the top of the cookie gently. Let the glaze set for 2 hours before storing in a container.

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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 136mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 217IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg

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