Name: Italian Ricotta Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 48
Ingredients: 3½ cups all-purpose flour; 2½ tsp baking powder; ¾ tsp salt; 1 cup unsalted butter; 1¾ cups granulated sugar; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1¾ cups ricotta; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; For Glaze:; 1 tbsp butter; 3¾ cups powdered sugar; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 6 tbsp milk

How To Make Italian Ricotta Cookies

These ricotta cookies are soft and moist, then topped with a simple sugar glaze. It’s guaranteed to make the holidays merrier and sweeter!

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cooking: 50 minutes

Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

3½cupsall-purpose flour
2½tspbaking powder
¾tspsalt
1cupunsalted butter,softened
1¾cupsgranulated sugar
1tsplemon zest
1¾cupsricotta,whole milk or fresh
1tbspvanilla extract
2large eggs

For Glaze:

1tbspbutter,salted or unsalted, melted
3¾cupspowdered sugar
2tbsplemon juice,fresh
1tspvanilla extract
6tbspmilk

Instructions

Cookies:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt for 20 seconds. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until pale and fluffy.
Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally throughout the entire mixing process.
Mix in the ricotta and vanilla extract, then blend in eggs one at a time.
Set the mixer on low speed, then slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then chill for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F during the last 20 minutes of the dough chilling.
Scoop the chilled dough out 1 tablespoon at a time, then shape them into balls.
Drop the balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bake in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the underside of the cookies are golden.
Cool on the baking sheet several minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice or almond extract, vanilla, and 4 tablespoon milk until smooth. Add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time to thin as needed.
Dip the tops of cookies in glaze, then return them to the wire rack.
Add the sprinkles at once, then allow the glaze to set at room temperature.
Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Using dark non-stick pans for this recipe is not recommended, since the bottoms will already become pretty golden. Dark pans brown more than uncoated pans do.