Thursday, July 19, 2012

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.



21 comments:

  1. I have got tot try these. They look really good!

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    1. They were really good! I totally enjoyed eating them!

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  2. Ah! Your extras! That's great, these look delicious!
    I have the exact same problem.. I still have some left over sour cream, and I have no idea what to do with it!!

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    1. Yes! Sour cream is definitely something I always have extra of!

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  3. Aww, what a cute gift! I love it. I had pizza for lunch today with extra ricotta on top and it was soooo good. These cookies would have been a perfect matching dessert!

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    1. It would have! Hm, I didn`t even think about putting ricotta cheese on top of pizzas! D: I must try~

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  4. You're killing me with all these! Why... why so many delicious options with Italian cheeses? I've been MIA from technology for a few weeks because of the kids birthday, then I went grocery shopping today, BEFORE I got caught up on all the delicious things you've been baking. I'm supposed to be helping the husband to build a deck this weekend, and now all I want is to run to the store for some ricotta.

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    1. Ahah, sorry! These are worth a try though! I hope your kids birthday went well! I would love to see pictures~

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  5. This is one of my favorite Giada recipes. I tried to make these once, though, and they got totally messed up. I have no idea why :/
    Cookies are not my strong suit, man...

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    1. I think it has become for me! Aww, maybe try again? It really was good!

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  6. I love lemony desserts! i don't make them as often as I would like but I definitely love the lemon flavor! I can almost taste the frosting here... Yum!

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    1. Oh...the frosting is delicious~~ You must try it sometime. ;)

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    2. Making them now for the first time and they are picture perfect! Look beautiful, I am planning on packaging them for gifts for my neighbors. Thanks for the post!

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  7. That is such an adorable gift idea! I love that! And i love these... :) I was shopping this weekend and Nordstrom had a huge stack of ricotta cookies that I was dying to try, now I'm seriously craving some! These look delicious Lynna~!

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    1. Right? I was SO excited when I received it! Thank you so much!

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  8. OH! I love those kinds of gifts!! How great! I could eat all of these in one sitting, they look so good!

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    1. I had restrain myself from eating them all. LOL. The struggles of a baker, right?!

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  9. Hi Lynna! Oh these cookies look fantastic!!! I love your baked goods. Everything coming out of your oven looks so good! I'll have a hard time staying in shape if I can bake like you. :-) Wait, even without baking, I'm in a bit trouble.... lol.

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    1. Thank you! >_< Means a lot coming from you. Hehe. Ahah, I only bake once a week (sometimes not at all). It`s just that I bake several things in one day and bug people around me to help my eat them! Aww, I think you`re in a wonderful shape!!

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  10. These look amazing, love ricotta, love lemons, love baking. Gonna try these out sooon:)Thx for stopping by at my blog.

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  11. I just created a recipe for Lemon Ricotta pancakes but never has it occurred to me to do the same with cookies! SWOON!!

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