Italian Ricotta Cookies
Description
The holidays are soon approaching and so is cookie baking time. Make these cookies for your family or to take to a cookie swap. The sprinkles make them so fun and funfetti style sprinkles are even more festive.
Ingredients
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour**
2 t. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 c. (8 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. lemon zest
15 oz. ricotta cheese, whole milk or fresh (1 3/4 c.)
1 T. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Glaze:
1 T. butter (salted or unsalted), melted
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice, or 1 1/4 t. almond extract and more milk, as needed
1 t. vanilla extract
4-6 T. milk
Sprinkles
Directions
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Cookies:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process. Mix in ricotta cheese and vanilla extract; blend in eggs, 1 at a time. Set mixer on low speed; slowly add in flour mixture; mix until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees during the last 20 minutes of dough chilling. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Do not use a dark non-stick pan since the bottoms will already become pretty golden and dark pans brown more than uncoated pans.
Scoop chilled dough out, 1 T. at a time; shape into balls. If it's too sticky, just drop onto sheet using 2 spoons. Drop onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake 12-14 minutes until undersides of cookies are golden. Cool on the baking sheet several minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, dip the tops of cookies in the glaze; return to the wire rack; immediately add sprinkles, if using. Allow glaze to set at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
Glaze:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla and 4 T. milk until smooth, adding in more milk, 1 t. at a time, to thin as needed. It shouldn't be very thin, it should be quite a bit thicker than a doughnut glaze.
Makes 4 dozen.
**Scoop flour directly from container using a measuring cup and level top using a butter knife. Don't whisk or sift before measuring and don't spoon into a cup!