Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

 

If sweet, tart, and pillowy is your thing, then I totally have the cookies for you!

 

Ricotta cookies are awesome; they’re soft and chewy, and in this recipe, the lemon adds a delicious tang in contrast to the sweetness of the icing.

 

One warning: they’re freakishly addictive, so be prepared to stuff quite a few in your face before you’re even willing to share them with people you like.

 

 

I adapted the recipe from Giada with a few changes. The first time I baked the cookies, I thought they were fantastic if a bit sweet. In fact, I didn’t even bother with the glaze because I thought it would be too much.

 

This time around, I reduced the amount of sugar I put into the cookie dough, and made the icing as Giada directs. They turned out perfectly! The icing is quite lemony and tangy (due to all the juice and zest), and I think it hits the right amount of sweetness.

 

It’s an easy recipe, I have just a few notes.

 

Here’s the dough with all the ingredients mixed in. It’s a soft dough, so don’t let that surprise you.

 

 

 

I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon size cookie scoop to portion the cookies onto the baking sheet. I thought the dough might spread once I put it on the cookie sheet, but it was fine.

 

 

 

Take the cookies out of the oven just as the edges start to brown; they go from perfectly done to over-baked quickly.

 

 

The recipe suggests spreading the glaze with a spoon; I used a squeeze bottle. I’d expect dipping a knife in the glaze and drizzling over the top would work well, too.

 

 

 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

printer-friendly version

 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 ½  cups sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups 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.

 

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 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

 

While the cookies cool, make the 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.

 

 

 

Posted on June 12, 2012
This entry was posted in baking, cookies, desserts and tagged baking, Lemon, sweet.