Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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Hello Daring Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My pillowy Lemon Ricotta Cookies are wealthy Italian delicacies bursting with contemporary citrus taste. These glazed treats are particular sufficient for a vacation, and comforting sufficient to get pleasure from as a deal with anytime with a cup of tea.

• Fast: These cookies take simply over half-hour to prep and prepare dinner, with a hands-off relaxation within the fridge.
• Irresistibly comfortable: Complete-milk ricotta makes these treats wealthy with out being heavy.
• Sunny Mediterranean taste: Lemon zest and contemporary juice within the glaze ship vibrant citrus aroma and style.
• Moveable and snackable: Every thing you’re keen on about ricotta cake in a captivating, grab-and-go type.
• Italian bakery vibes: A chic look, layered lemon taste, and a cake-like crumb.

I heard from so a lot of you about Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake, and its tender texture and refreshing citrus zing have made it a quick favourite at Greater Bolder Baking. I needed to work on a model with every thing you’re keen on about that cake, however in bite-sized type. The comfortable texture of conventional Italian cookies is one thing I’ve all the time adored, and these lemony ricotta cookies will shine on an Easter desk or at any spring or summer season gathering.  For extra citrus cookies, try Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies, Zesty Lemon Cookie Bars, Darkish Chocolate with Orange Cookies, and Key Lime Pie Cookies.

My prime tip for this recipe is straightforward: take note of timing. I examined this recipe a number of instances, and I discovered that chilling the dough for the complete two hours is necessary as a result of it ensures the cookies don’t unfold, and are rounded and plump. The chilling additionally deepens the flavour. Bake simply till the bottoms are evenly golden, however the tops are nonetheless pale—that’s the important thing to protecting the cookies comfortable and moist.

Desk of Contents

What are Lemon Ricotta Cookies?

Lemon Ricotta Cookies are cake-like cookies with daring citrus taste from zest within the dough and juice and zest within the glaze. Utilizing whole-milk ricotta provides the cookies their signature comfortable and tender texture. Lemon glaze and a final touch of zest give these cookies a polished look. Historically, ricotta cookies had been baked on cheese-making days in rural Italy, when contemporary ricotta constructed from sheep’s milk whey was plentiful. These lemony ricotta cookies are perfect for Easter, Mom’s Day, dessert, snacks, or gifting.

Key Elements and Substitutes

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour provides the cookies construction with out making them dense.
• Substitute: For gluten-free cookies, use the identical quantity of a gluten-free baking combine, like my Straightforward Almond Flour Baking Combine, or one other gluten-free flour.
  • Observe that your cookies may have a extra delicate texture.

Baking powder

• Baking powder provides the cookies raise.

Butter

• Butter provides the cookies an opulent texture, moisture, and wealthy taste.
• Creaming the butter and sugar contributes to the comfortable texture by creating small pockets that entice air.
• Use salted or unsalted butter.
• Use room-temperature butter right here so it whips up easily. Right here’s how one can soften chilly butter.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the cookies.
• Moreover, the sugar provides moisture, and whipping the sugar and butter contributes to the cookie’s distinctive texture.
• Substitute: You need to use half mild brown sugar to deepen the flavour, however notice that your cookies could also be darker.

Lemon zest

• Lemon zest is stuffed with the concentrated citrus taste from the lemon oil within the peel.
• Substitute: For a unique taste, use the identical quantity of lime zest or orange zest as an alternative.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavour and balances the tartness.

Egg

• Eggs give these lemon cookies construction and contribute to the rise.
• Please use room-temperature eggs, as a result of chilly eggs received’t whip up nicely. Listed below are my secure and fast methods to heat up eggs. 
• Substitute: For an egg-free model, use 3 tablespoons of room-temperature full-fat Greek yogurt as an alternative.

Complete milk ricotta cheese

• Complete milk ricotta provides these Italian ricotta cookies lemon a tender, virtually muffin-like crumb.
• Moreover, ricotta cheese provides a light dairy taste.
• It’s necessary to make use of whole-milk or full-fat ricotta cheese for the proper taste and texture.
• Use room-temperature ricotta, so it whips up easily.
• You may make your personal ricotta cheese with my simple recipe.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract rounds out the flavors and balances the tartness on this lemon ricotta cookies recipe.
• Substitute: Use the identical quantity of Vanilla Bean Paste in the event you favor.

Lemon Glaze

Powdered sugar

• Powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar) provides the glaze sweetness and thickness, and units right into a shiny, barely agency coating.
• Sift your powdered sugar to make sure your glaze isn’t lumpy.
• In the event you’re out of powdered sugar, right here’s how one can make it your self.

Lemon juice

• Lemon juice thins the glaze and offers it a vivid citrus taste.
• Use contemporary lemon juice for the perfect outcomes.
• Substitutes: Use lime or orange juice as an alternative in the event you favor.

Lemon zest

• Lemon zest provides concentrated citrus perfume and taste, and provides visible attraction.
• Substitutes: You need to use orange or lime zest in the event you favor.

Methods to Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Make the Lemon Ricotta Cookies

1. Combine the dry elements: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Put aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar: Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer and a big bowl), cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt on medium-high pace till pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. Proceed mixing: Add the egg, ricotta, and vanilla extract, and blend on medium pace till mixed.

4. Add flour: Cut back the pace to low and add the flour combination, stirring simply till integrated. The dough will probably be very comfortable.
5. Chill dough: Cowl tightly with cling wrap, and refrigerate for at the least 2 hours (or as much as 3 days).
6. Put together to bake: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) fan help and line two massive baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Scoop dough: Scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough, roll into balls, and place 2 inches (5 cm) aside on the ready baking sheets.

8. Bake cookies: Bake for 12–14 minutes, till the bottoms are evenly golden, however the tops stay pale.

9. Cool cookies: Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill fully.

Make the Lemon Glaze and Serve

10. Combine glaze: In a small bowl, whisk collectively the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice till thick however pourable, including extra lemon juice, a couple of drops at a time, if wanted.

11. Glaze cookies: Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze, sprinkle with lemon zest, and return to the rack to let the glaze set, about 5 minutes.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Professional Chef Suggestions

• To bake in a standard oven:  In case your oven doesn’t have convection (with fan), improve the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake one tray at a time.
• Use full-fat entire milk ricotta for the softest texture. Low-fat ricotta/half skim ricotta will produce drier cookies.
• Chill the dough for the complete two hours to stop spreading and to deepen the flavour.
• Calmly flour your fingers when scooping the dough whether it is too sticky to work with simply.
• Take the cookies out whereas the tops are nonetheless pale: Browning the tops will dry them out.
• Let the cookies cool fully earlier than glazing. Glaze utilized to heat cookies might slide off, and the glaze units extra cleanly when utilized to fully cooled cookies.

Make-Forward and Storage Directions

Make-Forward Suggestions

• This dough has to relax within the fridge for at the least two hours, however you may go away it within the fridge for as much as two days.
  • For extra prolonged storage, type the cookie dough into balls and freeze.
    • Flash-freeze the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking tray.
    • As soon as they’re frozen, place them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Retailer in freezer for as much as eight weeks.
    • Defrost, then bake till the bottoms are evenly golden, however the tops stay pale.

Methods to retailer leftovers

• Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as three days.

FAQs

Can I make Italian lemon cookies gluten-free?

• Sure, you can also make Italian lemon cookies gluten-free.
  • As a substitute of standard flour, use the identical quantity of a gluten-free baking combine, like my Straightforward Almond Flour Baking Combine, or one other gluten-free flour.
  • Utilizing gluten-free baking combine or flour will give the cookies a extra delicate texture.

How do I make these ricotta cookies with out egg?

• To make these ricotta cookies with out egg, use 3 tablespoons of room-temperature, full-fat Greek yogurt as an alternative of an egg.
• The yogurt will preserve the feel comfortable.

How do I be sure my cookies are tender and cake-like?

• Complete-milk ricotta textures can differ. To ensure your cookies are tender and never gummy, drain your ricotta if it’s watery earlier than utilizing it.
• Ensure to not overmix. This can encourage gluten growth, making the cookies harder.
• Make sure that your elements are at room temperature, so that they’ll mix simply and easily.
• Take care to not overbake. Take the cookies out of the oven when the bottoms are evenly golden and the tops are nonetheless pale.
• In the event you don’t have a convection oven, improve the temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake one tray at a time.

Extra Citrus Recipes