These Italian lemon cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good and soft from the ricotta cheese. Bursting with zesty lemon flavor, they're topped with a sweet, sugary glaze and more fresh lemon zest. A recipe for all the lemon lovers out there that will bring raves.
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Glazed and soft
I don't think I've made it too much of a secret that I'm more of a cake than cookie person, but these Italian soft ricotta cookies have definitely found a place in my top 10.
Which is not surprising as I'm a huge fan of ricotta.
They're smooth with a unique texture and packed with fresh lemon flavor. And they are irresistible, just like our other lemon jewels, the lemon crinkles and the lemon thumbprints.
They are easy to make but hard to resist. And they never disappoint. Everyone who has ever tried these little lemony beauties has fallen instantly in love with them.
I like having these for a little treat after dinner with a nice cup of tea or coffee, but they're also perfect for Christmas, bake sales, potlucks or as an after-school snack.
- Great lemon flavor: if you love a combination of sweet and tart, this is for you.
- Definite crowd pleaser: whether I make these for my family, a potluck, bake sale or a party, these always go fast!
- Easy to make: perfect for beginner and seasoned bakers alike.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Ricotta cheese: we use whole milk ricotta due to its richness. You can use low-fat ricotta. Don't use salted ricotta, which is dry and has a different consistency.
- Lemon zest: freshly grated is highly recommended. Zest the lemon before you juice it so you can use the same piece of fruit for both.
- Lemon juice: make sure it's fresh to give these cookies a tremendous flavor.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired for best results.
Variations & substitutions
- Lime: add lime in addition to the lemon zest or substitute it.
- Orange: use orange zest and juice instead of the lemon. The flavor will be sweeter overall, and the cookies will not have the punch that lemon gives them, but they will be delicious.
- Nuts: sprinkle coarsely chopped walnuts or pistachios to the glaze before it hardens. Chopped or sliced almonds also pair very well and you can add a few drops of almond extract to the batter.
- Spices: add a large pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom to the batter for a faint spiced flavor.
The batter is thick and holds well when scooped; no need to chill it.
Measuring the cookies: Use a cookie scoop so that your cookies bake evenly. Leave roughly a 2-inch separation between each (depending on the size) so they can spread comfortably during baking. I use the small cookie scoop of this set that is 1.57 inches / 4cm in diameter for regular-sized cookies.
These are soft cookies, so make sure the center is still tender when you remove them from the oven.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Do a test bake! I always recommend baking two or three cookies to find your sweet spot regarding baking time and texture. Check the time to ensure you don't over or underbake them. Also, see how much they expand (if at all) and adjust accordingly if needed so they don't touch during baking.
Simple lemon glaze
A powdered sugar glaze (or icing) is all you need.
- Only 2 ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice.
- Lemon glaze: we use lemon juice, of course, because we're making lemon cookies, and it will give them an extra citrus boost.
How thin or thick should it be? For these cookies, we like a thick drizzle of glaze that will drip after it's poured but not too much. We want the cookies to shine and not be smothered by too much sweetness. But the glaze is a necessary part of the flavor experience.
Lemon zest: grating fresh zest on the wet glaze will add more flavor and is visually appealing.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, proper equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Room temperature: bringing the dairy ingredients and eggs to room temperature helps them bind with the other ingredients to create a smoother batter, yielding better results. Also, softened butter is not the same as melted butter.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Dry ingredients: sift them before adding them as they (especially the baking soda) can be clumpy and not dissolve during baking. Don't overmix the batter when adding the dry ingredients.
- Lemon: use fresh lemon; it makes all the difference. The amount of lemon zest used can vary according to individual taste.
- Extra lemon flavor: use up to a teaspoon more lemon zest or add pure lemon extract or lemon paste. Start small and see how you like them ) unless you regularly use them). I use pure ones like Nielsen Massey pure lemon extract or Mc Cormick culinary pure lemon extract. There are artificially flavored ones that you can use if you know they are good, like Frontier lemon flavor.
- Dough: you can keep it in the refrigerator for several days, making sure it's covered to avoid dryness. Or freeze it for up to a month, well wrapped in plastic. The cookie dough can be more or less sticky depending on the weather, the size of the egg, and so many other variants.
- Baking: I recommend turning the cookie sheet around (back to front) halfway through baking so the cookies bake better. Ovens transfer heat differently, and this is the easiest way to bake them evenly, especially if you use a large baking sheet.
- Storing lemon ricotta cookies: keep them in tins, containers, or jars with tight-fitting lids. You might taste more lemon flavor a few days after you bake them. See more storing suggestions below.
- Room temperature: keep the cookies in a well-sealed, airtight container like a cookie tin or Tupperware-type container. Stored properly, ricotta cookies will be good for 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: they keep in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic for a week, but they lose the softness, and the texture is different.
- Freezing: it is best if you do so before adding the glaze. Store the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe airtight container or ziploc-style bag for a month. Store the cookies flat or place a small piece of parchment between each so they don't freeze together. Add the glaze and extra lemon zest after the cookies have thawed completely.
- Leftovers: if the cookies are already glazed, store them in an airtight container with parchment paper or freezer sheets between layers to prevent sticking. The glaze will probably crush slightly but won't affect the flavor.
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Lemon Ricotta Cookies (soft and easy)
Ingredients
For the ricotta cookies:
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from about 1 lemon
For the lemon glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- extra lemon zest, to sprinkle on the glaze
Instructions
For the soft ricotta cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 320ºF (160ºC). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat soft 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter with 1 ½ cups sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating well. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest and mix.
- Add sifted 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt and integrate without overmixing.
- Stir in 1 cup whole milk ricotta until well incorporated. If the ricotta is too chunky, you can whip it slightly before adding it.
- Drop teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet, leaving space between them, as they will spread while baking.
- Gently flatten the tops if they are too high and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until they start to turn golden. They should not sink when the center is gently pressed with a finger.
- Let them cool slightly on a rack, and carefully remove them from the sheet with a spatula. Cool completely before glazing.
For the lemon glaze:
- Mix 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Start with two tablespoons and see if it needs more. If it's too thick and hard to spread, add more juice, a few drops at a time, until it has a very thick honey-like consistency. If it's too thin, it will drip down the sides too much. You can do a test with one cookie first before deciding.
- Spoon small amounts into the center of the cooled cookies and spread it slightly so that it runs to the sides.
- Grate extra lemon zest on top of the wet glaze and let it dry on a cooling rack.
Kathleen Lumpkin says
Made these yesterday. Light and just the right amount of zing. Family and friends enjoyed them.