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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Lemon Ricotta Cookies

    Published: Dec 21, 2020 · Modified: Apr 28, 2023 by Maria Doss · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft, tender and cake like. Topped off with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze, these Italian ricotta cookies are little bites of deliciousness.

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    Four days until Christmas and baking is in full swing!!!

    Shortbread cookies, thumbprints, Shaped cookies, Cut outs, drop cookies or the classic sugar cookies......are all equally loved by family and friends. However, it is always nice to add a new kind to Christmas cookie tray.

    Ricotta Cookies are unlike any cookies that you might have had. These are soft and fluffy, almost like little cake bites.

    Ricotta in cookies? This might sound odd at first, but using ricotta in baked goods has been an Italian tradition for ages. Ricotta adds a wonderful lightness and creaminess, making the baked good soft and tender, like these ricotta pancakes.

    Lemon Ricotta Cookies are:

    • Soft
    • Fluffy
    • More like little cakes
    • Easy
    • No refrigeration required
    • Sweet
    • Tangy

    Main ingredients:

    Basic cookie ingredients : Flour, leaveners, butter, sugar and egg.

    Lemon components - Both lemon zest and juice

    Ricotta - Full fat or reduced fat ricotta

    How to make ricotta cookies?

    Whisk all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. In another larger bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, followed by the egg and then ricotta, lemon juice and jest. Finally, add flour and beat to combine.

    Using a small cookie scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees, until the edges are golden brown. Cool cookies completely.

    To make lemon glaze, simply stir confectioners sugar and lemon juice together to make a thin glaze. Garnish with chopped pistachios and let cookies rest for at least 3 hours for glaze to set.

    Expert tips:

    Use whole milk or reduced fat ricotta cheese and not fat-free.

    Instead of pistachios, try using sliced almonds or sprinkles, which are more traditional in a ricotta cookie recipe.

    Storage instructions:

    Unglazed cookies can be stored at room temperature for a few days. However, glazed cookies need to be consumed within 2 days.

    Freezing instructions:

    Baked, cooled and UNGLAZED lemon ricotta cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature, before glazing. We do not recommend freezing glazed cookies.

    Cookies, COOKIES and more COOKIES:

    Breakfast Cookies <----Healthiest Cookie Recipe

    Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Christmas Fruit Icebox Cookies

    Lemon Ricotta Cookies

    Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft, tender and cake like. Topped off with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze, these Italian ricotta cookies are little bites of deliciousness.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Additional Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 30 cookies
    Calories: 105kcal
    Author: Maria Doss

    Ingredients

    Dry ingredients

    • 1 cup plus ½ cup all purpose flour
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Wet ingredients

    • 1 stick ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cup ricotta cheese
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

    Lemon glaze

    • 2 cups confectioners sugar
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

    Additional ingredients

    • chopped pistachios for garnish optional
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    Instructions

    • Add all dry ingredients into a medium a bowl and whisk well to combine.
    • Add butter and sugar into a larger bowl, beat with a hand held electric beater (on high speed) for about 2 minutes, until creamy and smooth. Beat in egg until well combined (about 20 seconds).
    • Add ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat for another 1 minute. Add dry ingredients and beat (begin on low speed and build to medium-high), until just combined. Let dough rest for a few minutes.
    • In the mean time, pre heat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Using a small to medium ice cream scoop, scoop mounds of cookie dough on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
    • Bake cookies for 18 to 23 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.
    • Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
    • Stir confectioners sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thin glaze (glaze should drip slowly from a spoon)

    Make lemon glaze

    • Using a spoon, spread glaze on top of each cookie and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top (if using).
    • Let glaze set for for at least 3 hours before eating.

    Notes

    Use whole milk or reduced fat ricotta cheese and not fat-free.
    Instead of pistachios, try using sliced almonds or sprinkles, which are more traditional in a ricotta cookie recipe.
    Storage instructions: Unglazed cookies can be stored at room temperature for a few days. However, glazed cookies need to be consumed within 2 days.
    Freezing instructions: Baked, cooled and UNGLAZED lemon ricotta cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature, before glazing. We do not recommend freezing glazed cookies.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g

    Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.

    Did you make this recipe?Mention @KitchenAtHoskins or tag #kitchenathoskins!

    Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for supporting kitchenathoskins.com

    All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.

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    Hi I'm Maria, the recipe developer, photographer, and videographer behind this food blog. Here you’ll find simple everyday recipes that pack in serious flavors, with a sprinkling of creative twists to familiar dishes. I also focus on including an overview of why the recipe works, valuable tips, step-by-step photos, and videos to guide you along the way.
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