Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

In the Fall of 2009 I found one of the best cookies to ever pass my lips.  I saw them being made by Giada on Food Network and I thought they sounded really good...and I printed off the recipe.  I made them when my family came down for a visit...they loved them...I made them for coffee with my friends, more raves!  They don't last long in my household!  Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a fresh lemony glaze are a cakey cookie - just refreshingly delicious.  One of those "you can't eat just one" kind of cookies.  I LOVE lemons - I love lemon drops - and these taste like a cookie version of a lemon drop.  Intensely tartly lemon and yet sweet... all in one bite.  Yum.

So, here we are in January and I'm encountering some gorgeous lemons and limes...and I've started pulling out recipes using them.  I decided to start with one I knew...and then I'll be trying a new one this week-end...using some of the big juicy limes I bought this week.

I had one Valley Lemon (a Meyer) and 2 "regular" lemons in the fridge.  The Valley Lemon is much more thin skinned, so I used the "regular" lemons for the zest...but the Valley Lemon is juicy to the extreme...and easily gave twice as much juice as one of the smaller lemons on hand.

Here's the recipe...make sure you have access to a zester (not the long strips - but a grating kind of zester...I use a micro plane) and a good reamer or juicer to get the juice out.  I used a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop for portioning the cookies (the recipe makes a little over 2 dozen).  Other than that, some bowls, measuring utensils, and a mixer were all that was needed.

LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES
WITH LEMON GLAZE
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis via www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested (note - zest the lemons first - and then cut and squeeze for the juice - be careful not to zest the white pith - just the bright yellow intensely lemony zest)

the zest of one lemon and the naked lemon ready to cut and squeeze

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. (I whisked them together to remove any lumps and ensure well-blended) Set aside.

In large mixing bowl (I used the stand mixer 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 (I just added to mixer bowl and continued mixing).

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (I used Silicone Baking Mats).  Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie - I used a cookie scoop) 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. (My batch of dough made 28 cookies - and I used 3 baking sheets - as I remember they spread significantly - see photos).



scooped dough - ready for the oven



baked cookies - just barely brown around the bottom edge

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth (I pre-whisked the powdered sugar to ensure no lumps and then used the whisk to incorporate the juice and zest - makes for a smooth glaze).  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.  (Note - I wish I had put the cookies on a rack before glazing so the glaze didn't pool around the cookie.  I looked on foodnetwork's link above and the picture shows them being glazed on a rack...duh...my recipe was printed out last year - and it didn't have that picture then.  Someone must have re-tested and realized :-)

Pack the cookies in a decorative container. (yeah, that's not gonna happen...they'll be lucky to be here past dinner time in my house!!!)

So, I've finished glazing them - and sampled one for QC (Quality Control)...and I must say - that is one damn fine cookie!  I need another one - see ya later!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!