Eric & I share a love of lemon flavored foods, which is why many of the desserts I post feature lemon. Our son-in-law Gilbert, is also a big fan of lemon. I tried these cookies out a few months back and they were such a hit with the lemon lovers in my life that I knew I had to share them here. This seemed like a good time to share them!

Another big component of these cookies is ricotta, and coincidentally, ricotta is another favorite food of mine. I have to buy it sparingly though because I would just sit and eat the entire container of it plain if I had it around all the time! Ricotta is a common ingredient of many Italian desserts, like cheesecake and cannoli, but is is also widely used in savory dishes, including calzones, lasagna and raviolis.

The production of ricotta in Italy dates back to the Bronze Age, about 3000 BCE. It is a whey cheese which means it is made from the liquid leftover after making mozzarella or provolone cheese. The whey is reheated (ricotta means recooked in Latin) causing the remaining milk solids to coagulate, forming the curd. Ricotta is classified as a creamy curd, not a true cheese because it is made from a cheese by-product, not fresh milk. Ricotta can be made from sheep, cow, goat or water buffalo milk but is most often made from cow’s milk here in the US. It adds richness to these lemon cookies.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies (adapted from GiadaWeekly.com)
Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Cookie

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• Zest & juice of one lemon (3 tablespoons of juice)

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until they are light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture until the eggs are incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice to the mixer, combining it all well. Stir in the dry ingredients until the dough is thoroughly mixed.

Line the 3 baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets using about a tablespoon for each cookie. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until they are no longer shiny and they are slightly golden at the edges. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest on them for 20 minutes.

While the cookies cool, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until the glaze is smooth.

Spoon a small amount of the glaze onto each cooled cookie, using the back of the spoon to spread it close to the edges.

Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Store the cookies in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers in the refrigerator. These are a very moist, dense cake-like cookie.

Guaranteed to satisfy lemon (and ricotta!) cravings very well!  ~Linda

Lemon Ricotta Cookies (adapted from GiadaWeekly.com)
Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Cookie

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• Zest & juice of one lemon (3 tablespoons of juice)

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until the are light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture until the eggs are incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice to the mixer, combining it all well. Stir in the dry ingredients until the dough is thoroughly mixed.

Line the 3 baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets using about a tablespoon for each cookie. Bakethe cookies for 15-20 minutes until they are no longer shiny and they are slightly golden at the edges. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest on them for 20 minutes.

While the cookies cool, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until the glaze is smooth.

Spoon a small amount of the glaze onto each cooled cookie, using the back of the spoon to spread it close to the edges.

Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Store the cookies in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers in the refrigerator. These are a very moist, dense cake-like cookie.