Italian Ricotta Cookies
Italian ricotta cookies are one of the best holiday cookies - Topped with lemon glaze, they have a soft cake-like texture, and are super easy to make!
Serving: 24
Calories: 107kcal
Ingredients
- 250 g ricotta cheese, well drained
- 150 g sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 250 g all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
For the icing:
- 130 g powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon milk, plus extra if needed
- 1 tablespoon sprinkles, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta with the sugar, lemon zest and egg, until you have a creamy, lump-free mixture.
- Gradually sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Mix all the ingredients by hand until you have a compact and soft dough.
- Slightly wet your hands and form small balls (around 24 grams/0.8 oz each), you can also use a cookie scoop. Arrange them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper, then refrigerate them for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F or with fan option on at 150°C/300°F. Arrange the baking tray onto the middle shelf.
- Transfer the cookie tray into the oven and bake for 17 minutes, or until slightly golden on top. Remove the cookies from the oven and arrange them on a wiring rack.
- Once the cookies are cool, sprinkle them with powdered sugar, or dip the tops of the cookies in glaze and return them to the wire rack. Immediately top with sprinkles or lemon zest and allow the glaze to set at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
For the icing:
- In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth, adding in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time to thin as needed ( don't add too much milk, it should be a quite thick glaze).
Video
Notes
Please note that all my baking recipes are tested with gram measurements, which are more accurate than cup measurements. US cup amounts are provided, but for best results please always use a scale when measuring ingredients.
SUBSTITUTIONS
You can substitute the lemon zest with an equal amount of orange zest. You can also substitute it with 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
STORAGE TIPS
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container or sealed jar. Keep them in a cool spot in your kitchen or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
FREEZING TIPS
How to freeze unbaked cookies:
Place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to one month.
To bake them after freezing, let them thaw for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, then bake them.
How to freeze baked cookies:
Place them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to two months.
For best results, freeze the cookies without the glaze, and glaze them before serving them.
Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie with glaze | Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.