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These citrus-studded Italian cookies are light, fluffy and full of holiday cheer! Perfect for cookie exchanges & holiday parties.
This post may contain affiliate links.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Looking for more dessert recipes? Check out some of our favorites:
- Rich Cocoa Brownie Bites
- Elvis-Style Frozen Bananas
- Sweet + Salty Dark Chocolate Clusters
- 5-Ingredient Samoa Cereal Bowls
- Orange Scented Cannoli Dip
- Ricotta Cookies
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Icing
- Dessert Nachos with Fresh Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
- Tolon’s Strawberry Basil Shortcake
- Cranberry Orange Snickerdoodles
- Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie with a Whole Wheat Crust
- Chocolate Cream Pie with Orange Zested Whipped Cream
- Great Grandma Francesca Cardile’s Cookies
- Triple-Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
📖 Recipe
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- 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
For Cookies:
-
2 cups white sugar
-
1 cup butter, softened
-
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
-
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-
2 eggs
-
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (lightly packed)
-
1 teaspoon lemon extract
-
4 cups all-purpose flour
-
2 tablespoons baking powder
-
1 teaspoon salt
For Icing:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
-
3 tablespoons milk
-
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (lightly packed)
-
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
-
Colored sugar or candy sprinkles, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- 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.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms, scraping the bowl again as needed.
- Drop dough by heaping teaspoons (I use a #50 cookie scoop, which holds ⅝ 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.
- When cookies are completely cool, prepare icing. In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, milk, ½ teaspoon lemon zest and ¼ 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
I can't wait to see what everyone else baked up this year!
Kristen (amindfullmom)
These look delicious! I loved participating in the cookie swap, so much fun for such a great cause!
Michelle Nahom
Those look wonderful, Ashley! I still have some baking to do...I'd like to try these!
Katie Nunes
Hi Ashley,
I would like to freeze these. Have you ever done that? Can I glaze and freeze once the glaze is dry?
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 🙂
Katie Nunes
Thanks! I ran out of time the other day so I just froze mine un-iced, but it will be good info to have.