Lemon Ricotta Cookies
These lemon ricotta cookies have a soft, fluffy, cake-like texture and a vibrant lemon flavor. You can make the dough up to three days in advance and the finished cookies freeze well. This recipe makes five dozen cookies....plenty for sharing ;)
Servings: 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese 15 ounces
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon oil
Lemon Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 5 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl (the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Whisk or sift to remove any lumps.
- In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well blended.
- Add the lemon zest, ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon oil. Beat until well combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients. Cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough for 2 to 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Drop 1 tablespoon dollops of dough on a baking sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 1 to 2 minutes then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Add the powdered sugar to a medium sized bowl. Stir in 5 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Gradually add more lemon juice until you get a consistency that lightly coats a spoon.
- Dip the tops of the cookies in the lemon icing and place them on a cooling rack unit the icing dries.
Notes
Lemon Oil Tip: For the brightest lemon flavor, use culinary-grade lemon oil (not the kind meant for aromatherapy). It gives the cookies a cleaner, more vibrant citrus taste than lemon extract.
Substitute: You can substitute lemon extract if needed, but if you have access to lemon oil, it makes a noticeable difference.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 149mg | Sugar: 12g
