Italian Ricotta Cookies (Italian Christmas Cookies)
Italian ricotta cookies are super soft, moist, and an incredibly easy-to-make classic holiday cookie that's also amazingly delicious! Tender, sweet, yet slightly tangy cookies are covered with a bright lemon glaze and then topped with festive sprinkles! Moist, tender, and melt in your mouth – these cookies are going to be a new favorite!
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Instructions
Italian Ricotta Cookies
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and the butter pales in color. Add in the ricotta and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Mix the eggs into the dough one at a time, then add the salt and baking powder. Gradually add the flour and mix until fully combined.
Use plastic cling film to cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days at most.
Preheat your oven once the dough is chilled. Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Drop the chilled dough in 1-inch balls onto your prepared baking sheet leaving 2 inches of spacing between cookies. *These were portioned using a melon baller and dropped directly onto the baking sheet (rather than hand-rolled).
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the top no longer looks raw and the cookie bottoms are just turning a light golden color. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Lemon Icing
Once the cookies have fully cooled, mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Add liquid or more confectioners' sugar as needed to reach your desired consistency. You want the icing to cling to your spoon with a slow drizzle (that way it stays on your cookies!).
Dip each of the cookies into the bowl of icing, allow the icing to run off until the drizzle slows, then turn and set onto the wire cooling rack. Add sprinkles after every few cookies are glazed, if using.
Allow the icing to set at room temperature before serving or storing.
Notes
Use whole milk ricotta, not part-skim for this recipe! Part-skim or low-fat ricotta will not provide the necessary richness needed for these cookies! Whole milk is the best for these wonderful cookies!
If chilling for more than a few hours, transfer the dough to plastic cling film. Wrap up the dough as a ball to keep the dough from drying out.
Try using a melon baller to portion out the cookies! Not only will this make the cookies more evenly sized, but it will also prevent the warmth of your hands from melting the cookie dough too much before baking. This will ensure they bake up perfectly!
Use red, green, and white sprinkles or nonpareils for a traditional look! If you desire, you can put sprinkles on the cookies for a festive Christmas decoration that’s also the colors of the Italian flag! Apply these just as the icing is setting so they adhere perfectly.
Repurpose the parchment paper from baking to glaze the cookies! You can put the parchment paper underneath the wire cooling racks to catch the excess glaze, so you have easy cleanup.
(without icing) in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer them into a freezer storage container. The cookies should be fully frozen within 2-3 hours.