Description
Silky italian lemon ricotta cookies showcase zesty citrus notes in a delightful dessert. Creamy ricotta and bright lemon zest create a perfect balance of sweetness and tang you’ll savor with each delicate bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 250 g (1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Dry Mixture Preparation: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined and aerated.
- Butter Creaming: Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until the mixture transforms into a fluffy, pale yellow consistency with soft peaks.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Blend egg, ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, creating a smooth, fragrant base.
- Dough Formation: Gradually incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring gently until a uniform dough emerges without overmixing.
- Baking Setup: Line baking sheets with parchment paper and heat oven to 180C (350F), positioning racks in the middle for even heat distribution.
- Cookie Portioning: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared sheets, spacing each cookie approximately 2 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Baking Process: Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookie edges turn golden and bottoms develop a light bronze color, indicating perfect doneness.
- Initial Cooling: Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, allowing them to firm up and become easily transferable.
- Complete Cooling: Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack, allowing them to reach room temperature and develop a tender texture.
- Glaze Creation: Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until achieving a smooth, glossy glaze with a ribbon-like consistency.
- Finishing Touch: Drizzle lemon glaze generously over cooled cookies, creating an elegant and tangy coating.
- Final Garnish: Optional – Sprinkle additional lemon zest over glazed cookies to enhance visual appeal and citrus profile.
- Glaze Setting: Allow glazed cookies to rest for 15 minutes, permitting the sugar coating to solidify and create a delicate, crisp surface.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients to maintain a soft, tender cookie texture, avoiding tough or dense results.
- Zest Selection: Use fresh, vibrant lemon zest for maximum citrus flavor, avoiding dried or older zest that can diminish the bright, tangy notes.
- Temperature Precision: Allow butter and eggs to reach room temperature before mixing, ensuring smoother blending and more consistent cookie structure.
- Glaze Consistency: Adjust lemon glaze thickness by adding powdered sugar or lemon juice incrementally, creating a smooth, drizzleable topping that sets perfectly.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg