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Lemon Ricotta Cookies

These citrus-studded Italian cookies are light, fluffy and full of holiday cheer! Perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.

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It’s that time of year again – it’s the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

This year, I decided to do a spin on the Ricotta Cookies that I’ve been making every year for Christmas.

These lemon ricotta cookies are a citrus-studded Italian treat! They're light, fluffy and full of Christmas cheer - perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.

I used lemon extract for the first time when I made this Lemon Cream Dip a while back, and I thought that adding it along with fresh lemon zest would be a nice addition to these cookies.

They turned out beautifully! We really enjoyed the few that we got to eat before I packed them up for my swap partners, neighbors and my husband’s co-workers.

These lemon ricotta cookies are a citrus-studded Italian treat! They're light, fluffy and full of Christmas cheer - perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.

That’s one of the reasons I like this recipe so much – it makes a ton! Using the #50 cookie scoop that I like to make these beauties, I get about 7 dozen cookies.

And just look at the insides – soooo fluffy!

These lemon ricotta cookies are a citrus-studded Italian treat! They're light, fluffy and full of Christmas cheer - perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.

I sent these cookies off to Jessica at A Southern Mother, Ellen at Like Mother, Like Daughter and Koko at Koko Likes. And I received some delicious treats from some fellow bloggers: Oatmeal Orange Cranberry Cookies from Erica at Sun and Good Eats, Gingerbread Russian Tea Cookies from Julie Sweet and Spicy Monkey, Oatmeal, Chocolate Cherry Cookies from Anne at Wit Wisdom & Food.

 

A photo posted by Ashley Covelli (@bigflavors) on

These lemon ricotta cookies are a citrus-studded Italian treat! They're light, fluffy and full of Christmas cheer - perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.

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These lemon ricotta cookies are a citrus-studded Italian treat! They're light, fluffy and full of Christmas cheer - perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

  • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli (adapted from Allrecipes)
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: About 7 dozen cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Description

These citrus-studded Italian cookies are light, fluffy and full of holiday cheer! Perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.


Ingredients

Scale

For Cookies:

For Icing:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (lightly packed)
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Colored sugar or candy sprinkles, for garnish


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, if using a hand mixer), beat the sugar and butter on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Reduce speed to medium and beat in the ricotta, vanilla, eggs, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon lemon extract.
  3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms, scraping the bowl again as needed.
  4. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons (I use a #50 cookie scoop, which holds 5/8 ounce), about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are very lightly golden, about 15 minutes (cookies will be soft). With spatula, gently remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  5. When cookies are completely cool, prepare icing. In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, milk, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract until smooth. With small spoon, spread or drizzle icing on the tops of the cookies, sprinkling with colored sugar or candy sprinkles before the icing dries (I usually glaze 8-10 at a time, sprinkle, and repeat. Once the glaze is set, the cookies can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for about a week. Enjoy!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 79
  • Sugar: 7 g
  • Sodium: 34.7 mg
  • Fat: 3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.9 g
  • Fiber: 0.2 g
  • Protein: 1.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 12.8 mg

Keywords: ricotta, lemon, Italian cookies, holiday baking, Christmas cookies

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I can’t wait to see what everyone else baked up this year!

These ricotta cookies are a simple dessert recipe makes oodles of pillowy soft, tender cookies that are sure to be a family favorite! Perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties. They've been a family tradition for years!

Ashley Covelli is a food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor based in Ossining, New York. She loves helping people become enthusiastic and adventurous in the kitchen so that they can build skills and confidence to cook for themselves and their loved ones. She can almost always be found with at least 3 different beverages within arm's reach.

7 Comments

    • Ashley

      They freeze well un-iced but I’m not sure how they’d do iced and then frozen. I’m willing to try freezing a few of Monday’s batch for you and can report back!

  • Katie Nunes

    I may be able to report to you! I am making them now. Maybe I will freeze a couple of the iced ones but leave some others not iced until tomorrow or Monday, after I test those that I froze iced.

    • Ashley

      Someone posted on the regular ricotta cookie recipe post that she froze them iced (no mention of sprinkles) and that they worked out great! I’m going to freeze 2 from the batch I made this morning and will thaw them in a few days 🙂

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