Lemon Ricotta Cookies

If you thought those lemon ricotta pancakes were good or tempting, let me tell you: these cookies are WONDERFUL. If you`re already buying a whole container or ricotta cheese to make either those pancakes or something else, you`ll probably have some extra, huh? I usually always have leftover buttermilk, sour cream, ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, and the like when I bake with any of them.

Which almost drives me crazy looking around with recipes to use them all up. But, when I find some reallyyy tempting recipes, they call for something I don`t have. Only, if I buy said ingredient, I`ll have some extra of that! It`s a terrible, vicious cycle. Which requires constantly baking and eating delicious baked goods. Wait, now it doesn`t sound so bad...

Since this has occur so often, I`ve gotten really good at planning what I want to bake in advance so I can match up ingredients. Like using a whole container of ricotta cheese.

When it was my 21st birthday at the beginning of the year, one of my apartmentmate/friend gave me a wonderful gift. These cookies. Well, the ingredients. You know, those really cool gifts where you give them the ingredients and all you have to do is bake it?

Yep, that it! I had to take a picture of it. She packaged it all cutely into an adorable tea cup! I guess she knew I loved lemon flavored stuff. LOL. However, since it required ricotta cheese and I knew I would have leftover ricotta cheese, I didn`t get around into making these until a few months ago.

I should`ve made them as soon as I got the gift. I LOVE these cookies. They were so so soft and had a great lemon flavor to them. The glaze was tangy and sweet and rounded off the cookies so magnificently...I just love these cookies!

These cookies are just beautiful to look at. And smell. I mean, look at that glaze!!  They smell delicious. If you`re a fellow lemon lover, or know people who are, please make these for them. They`ll love them. 

Plus, these cookies aren`t like those decadent cookies like a double chocolate chip cookies. They`re very light and soft. Which means you can eat more at one time! :D

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Recipe from my friend (However, I believe she halved this recipe)

Yields: ~25 cookies

Level: Easy

Total Time: ~45minutes + 2 hours waiting (for glaze to harden)
(Print Recipe)

Materials Needed:

-          Baking sheets (2 preferably)

-          Parchment paper/baking mat

-          1 Large bowl, with electric mixer

-          1 medium bowl

-          1 small bowl

-          Zester/grater

-          Medium size cookie scoop

-          2 Whisks

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

§  1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

§  ½ teaspoon baking powder

§  ½ teaspoon salt

§  ¼ cup (1/2 of a stick) unsalted butter, softened

§  1 cup sugar

§  1 egg

§  1 cup ricotta cheese

§  1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice

§  ½ of a lemon zest

For the glaze:

§  ¾ cup powdered sugar

§  1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

§  ½ of a lemon zest

Directions:

For the cookies:

1.      Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.      Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or baking mat.

3.      In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk. Set aside these dry ingredients.

4.      In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

5.      Add the egg into the bowl with the butter and sugar and mix until incorporated.

6.      Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest into the same bowl, mix until fully combined.

7.      Next, add your dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, and salt). Combine well.

8.      Using a medium size cookie scooper, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches apart for each cookie.

9.      Bake for about 13-15 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.

10.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before removing them to cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the glaze:

1.      In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest and whisk until smooth.

2.      Top each cookie with the glaze, allowing it to harden for about 2 hours.

Then, serve or store cookies in airtight container for several days.