Description
Zesty Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies bring sunshine from Sicily’s kitchens to your dessert plate. Pillowy clouds of citrus-kissed sweetness melt gracefully, inviting you to savor each tender, tangy bite of pure Mediterranean delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Dry Ingredients:
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Main Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 250 g (1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze Ingredients:
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Transform the softened butter and granulated sugar into a cloud-like, airy mixture using an electric mixer, ensuring a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Incorporate the egg, rich ricotta, zesty lemon juice, fragrant lemon zest, and aromatic vanilla extract, blending until the mixture becomes uniformly silky.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – into the wet mixture, stirring with delicate strokes until just combined. Avoid overworking the dough to maintain a tender texture.
- Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper, creating a non-stick surface for perfect cookie formation.
- Preheat the oven to a precise 180°C (350°F), ensuring an ideal baking environment for the delicate cookies.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop rounded portions of the lemony batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving adequate space between each cookie to allow for gentle spreading.
- Slide the trays into the preheated oven and bake until the edges turn a delicate golden hue, typically requiring 10-12 minutes of careful monitoring.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, allowing their delicate texture to set.
Notes
- Zest lemons thoroughly before juicing to maximize flavor intensity and aromatic citrus notes in the cookies.
- Room temperature ingredients ensure smoother mixing and help create a more uniform, tender cookie texture.
- Avoid overmixing the dough to prevent tough, dense cookies; stop mixing as soon as dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- For gluten-free adaptation, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain soft, delicate cookie consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg