When it comes to cookies, I'm a stickler for homemade. I loathe 95% of cookies that you can buy in a store. Unfortunately, I'm not big on baking. I'd much rather make dinner and have someone who enjoys baking bring the dessert.
These cookies are one of my exceptions.
They are cake-like and sweet but bright and light from the lemon, and I tend to make them every year around the holidays.
Sometimes I even give them to people who are nice to me...
Sadly I can't take credit for the recipe. I found it years ago in a Giada cookbook.
But it's a really good cookie.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15 oz) container of whole milk ricotta cheese
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Preheat your oven to 375º
Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl and set aside.
I was making so many of these cookies I didn't have a mixing bowl large enough... so I opted for my stainless steel stock pot!
With the butter at room temperature, add the sugar and cream together until combined, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer.
Add eggs to the butter & sugar mixture.
Beat until smooth.
Add 15 oz of ricotta & the juice and zest of one lemon.
Mix.
Add in your dry ingredients slowly, and once well-combined spoon the dough onto parchment paper.
If excessively sharp in shape, dampen your fingers and smooth the surface as you would making cream puffs or gougères.
Bake for 15 minutes. The base should be lightly golden but the cookies will still appear quite pale.
For the glaze, take 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and the juice and zest of one lemon (about 3 TBSP juice). Stir well and spoon over the cookies (once cool).
Allow to set for 2 hrs before packaging.
Yum.
