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Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

A stack of soft italian ricotta cookies topped with thick white lemon glaze and bright yellow zest.
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Make soft, cake-like Italian ricotta cookies topped with a bright lemon glaze. This recipe is simple and yields tender cookies perfect for holidays or any time.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, drained if watery
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For the Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar
  • For the Glaze: 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • For the Glaze: 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  4. Mix in the ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until just combined.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  7. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should remain soft.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth. Add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or more lemon juice for a thinner glaze.
  11. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the lemon glaze, or drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Let the glaze set before serving.

Notes

  • Drain excess liquid from the ricotta cheese using a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
  • For festive cookies, add colored sprinkles to the wet glaze before dipping the cookies.
  • If you prefer an almond flavor, substitute the lemon zest with almond extract in the dough and use almond extract in the glaze instead of lemon.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://savorandpin.com/italian-ricotta-cookies-soft-recipe/