With spring in the air and Easter in a few weeks, I thought I would share a cookie recipe that I recently tried that I think is perfect for spring. I made these cookies back in February for my sister’s birthday. The cookies came out really well and the flavor of the lemon really stands out and was refreshing. The cookies are softer than an average cookie due to the ricotta. The recipe is very easy but making the glaze was the tough part. It is a mix of powdered sugar and lemon juice but it was not easy to stir the two ingredients together into a glaze. I ended up adding more lemon juice than the recipe called for because the mixture was very stiff and ended up with a lemon flavor that was more than intended. Regardless, the cookies overall were great and I will be making them for dessert for Easter.
Here is the recipe, courtesy of FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients for cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested
Ingredients for glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.
