Pillow like lemon and ricotta cookies are dipped in a tart yet sweet lemon glaze to make this traditional Italian Christmas treat.  These cake-like cookies puff up in the oven almost like little muffins tops, and the tart lemon glaze adds a slightly crunchy shell.  This non-chocolate, tart and sweet cookie is the perfect thing to round out your holiday treat assortment.

Print

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Pillow like lemon and ricotta cookies are dipped in a tart yet sweet lemon glaze to make this traditional Italian Christmas treat. These cake-like little cookies puff up in the oven almost like muffins tops, and the tart lemon glaze adds a slightly crunchy shell.

Course Cookies

Cuisine Christmas, Italian

Keyword Christmas cookies, Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Author Christoph

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 15 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Glaze

• 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice more if needed for consistency

Instructions

Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 baking trays with silpats or parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
• In a large bowl with a hand mixer cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat to combine.
• Stir in the dry ingredients. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
• Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon drop the chilled dough on to the baking tray spacing about 2” apart. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes or until slightly golden at the edges.
• Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

Glaze

• While the cookies are cooling combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
• Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze and return them to the wire rack. Sprinkle cookies with sprinkles or sanding sugar if desired.
• Let the glaze harden for several hours to prevent sticking. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Slightly chilling the dough before dropping will keep the cookies from spreading out and becoming flat. 

 

Glaze should be about the consistency of maple syrup for dipping.  Add sprinkles while glaze is wet. 

 

Allow glaze to completely dry before storing.