Easy, delicious lemon ricotta cookies made with ricotta and fresh lemon juice and zest!
Moist Italian style cookies with a lemon glaze. Sweet & tart!
Course
Sweets
Category
Italian
Prep Time1hour20minutes
Cook Time35minutes
Total Time1hour55minutes
Servings36cookies
Calories107kcal
AutorElle
Ingredients
For the cookies:
325gwhite spelt flour(Type 630)
2teaspoonsbaking powder(phosphate-free)
pinchof sea salt
125gbutter,at room temperature
130gorganic beet sugar or raw cane sugar
finely grated rind of 1 organic lemon(avoiding white pith)
2large eggs,room temperature
250gsmooth ricotta
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
For the lemon glaze:
1cuppowdered sugar(150 g)
2,5tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lemon juice
Sprinkles,for decorating (optional)
Method
For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment , or using an electric mixer combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice during the mixing process. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Finish the batter by hand using a spatula. Add the ricotta and lemon juice to the butter mixture and stir until incorporated.
Gently fold in the flour mixture until a dough forms. Do not over mix! Using your hands bring the dough together in a ball. The batter will be wet, however if very sticky, add 1 tablespoon more flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour (up to overnight).
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan-assisted) with the oven rack in centre position. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Working in two batches, roll 1 tablespoon of the chilled cookie dough into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat till HALF of the dough is used, leaving 5cm between each cookie, as they will spread. Place remaining dough in fridge until ready to start second batch. TIP: Cookies should be no larger than 1 tablespoon in size, anything larger than 1 tablespoon will yield flatter ricotta cookies.
Bake in preheated oven until set and cookies begin to brown slightly on the edges. (15-18 minutes).
Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes; then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
When the first batch is half way done, repeat the process with remaining cookie dough.
For the glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. The glaze should be somewhat thick, rather than runny. If the glaze is too thin, add more sugar; if the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice.
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and return to the wire rack, top side up. Add sprinkles and let rest until glaze sets.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to use the sprinkles or zest while the glaze is still wet, otherwise they will not stick.
Allow the glaze to fully harden before storing the cookies. Placing them in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes can help speed up the process.
Lemon ricotta cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days and up to 1 week in the refrigerator.