Italian Ricotta Cookies (Italian Christmas Cookies)

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup butter

  (softened, at room temperature)
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 large lemon

  (zested and juiced, reserve the juice for icing)
• 1 ¾ cups ricotta

  (15 ounces of fresh whole milk ricotta)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

  (or use ¾ teaspoon with unsalted butter)
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice

  (reserved after zesting your lemon above)
• 2 tablespoon milk

  (or more, as needed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• 1 In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the
  butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and the butter pales in color. Add in
  the ricotta and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
• 2 Mix the eggs into the dough one at a time, then add the salt and baking powder.
  Gradually add the flour and mix until fully combined.
• 3 Use plastic cling film to cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough for at least
  2 hours, or up to 2 days at most.
• 4 Preheat your oven once the dough is chilled. Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and
  line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• 5 Drop the chilled dough in 1-inch balls onto your prepared baking sheet leaving 2
  inches of spacing between cookies. *These were portioned using a melon baller
  and dropped directly onto the baking sheet (rather than hand-rolled).
• 6 Bake for 12-15 minutes until the top no longer looks raw and the cookie bottoms
  are just turning a light golden color. Remove from the oven and allow the
  cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a
  wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• 7 Once the cookies have fully cooled, mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl
  until smooth. Add liquid or more confectioners' sugar as needed to reach your
  desired consistency. You want the icing to cling to your spoon with a slow
  drizzle (that way it stays on your cookies!).
• 8 Dip each of the cookies into the bowl of icing, allow the icing to run off until
  the drizzle slows, then turn and set onto the wire cooling rack. Add sprinkles
  after every few cookies are glazed, if using.
• 9 Allow the icing to set at room temperature before serving or storing.

Nutrition Info