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Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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Soft, tender Italian lemon ricotta cookies with a delicate cake-like texture and a bright lemon glaze. These classic cookies are simple to make, fragrant, and stay moist for days — perfect for holidays, gifts, or afternoon tea.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

225g (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature

350g (1.75 cups) granulated sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

500g (2 cups) ricotta

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

For the Icing:

15g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

420g (3.5 cups) powdered sugar

5 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.
  3. Add ricotta and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until just incorporated.
  4. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Cover dough and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up.
  6. Prepare the Icing: Whisk melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust consistency with more milk or sugar as needed.
  7. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Scoop 1 tbsp portions of dough, roll into balls, and place 2 cm apart on baking sheets.
  9. Bake for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom. Cool on wire racks.
  10. Drizzle cooled cookies with lemon icing and top with sprinkles if desired. Let the icing set before serving.

Notes

For variety, replace lemon zest with orange or lime zest.

Add white chocolate chips or chopped almonds to the dough for extra richness.

Chill dough fully to prevent cookies from spreading too much.

Freeze un-iced cookies for up to 2 months; glaze after thawing.

Use drained ricotta if it seems too wet to avoid excess moisture in the dough.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://chocolatecoveredamy.com/italian-lemon-ricotta-cookies/