Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

5 from 1 vote

A soft and rich Italian Lemon Ricotta cookie with a zesty lemon icing topped with rainbow nonpareils. Lemon ricotta cookies are always one of the cookies we enjoy around Christmas.

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Chill2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian, italian-American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $15

Equipment

1 large baking tray
1 sieve
1 cookie scoop
2 Medium bowls
1 stand mixer

Ingredients

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup honey
Zest of 1 lemon
¾ cup whole-milk ricotta
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Lemon Icing

¼ cup whole milk
2 cups powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ cup Rainbow nonpareils optional

Instructions

Ricotta Cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes, until light and well combined. Add the honey, lemon zest, ricotta, vanilla bean paste, and egg. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2–24 hours.

For a quicker option, place the dough in the freezer for 30–40 minutes, or until it is cold and firm enough to scoop but not frozen.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12–14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The cookies should be set but remain soft.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing.

Lemon Icing

In a bowl, whisk together the whole milk, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
Dip the top of the cookies in the icing and top with rainbow nonpareils before the icing sets.
Allow the icing to set for about 15 minutes before serving or storing.

Notes

Don't overbake them. These cookies should stay soft and cakey. Pull them from the oven once they are set and just beginning to turn lightly golden on the bottom. If you wait for the tops to brown, they will be overbaked.
Icing. Do not ice while the cookies are warm. The cookies need to be completely cool, or the icing will run right off of them.
Sprinkles. Add the sprinkles immediately after icing the cookies so that they stick to the cookies.
Decorating. The color from nonpareils can bleed into the icing, especially if the cookies are still warm when decorated or if the room is humid. If appearance is important, I recommend decorating the cookies within about 8 hours of serving. Always let the cookies cool completely before icing and adding the nonpareils.

Nutrition