Christmas Cookies Day 7: Lemon Ricotta Cookies

 

Christmas Cookies: Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Mine did not turn out as pretty as Giada’s but they were delicious! So moist from the *whole* container of ricotta cheese. And, such great lemon flavor from the zest in the cookie and the very lemony glaze.

Just a couple of notes:
The glaze recipe made just enough to cover all the cookies. So be generous but not overly so when coating the cookies.
I have started to always line my cookie sheets with parchment paper. The cookies bake more evenly and are easy to remove from the cookie sheet. And, clean up is a breeze — just throw out the paper or wipe down the mat!
Lastly, if you don’t own a Microplane zester, it really is an amazing tool to zest citrus. You can use it to grate parmesan cheese, and I’ve even seen people use it on garlic cloves and ginger.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

by Giada de Laurentiis

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies: 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 for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 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.