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Italian Ricotta Cookies

Italian ricotta cookies are soft, tender cookies made with whole-milk ricotta and finished with a thick lemon-vanilla glaze. Chill the dough before baking, then dip the cooled cookies and let the glaze set for a classic bakery-style finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Chilling and setting 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 9 minutes
Servings: 60 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 110
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1.75 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 container (15 oz) ricotta whole-milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
For the glaze
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp whole milk
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 2 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets
  • 1 mixer

Method
 

Make the cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
  2. Line two 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  5. Beat in the ricotta and vanilla until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  6. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
  7. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture in three additions on low speed, mixing just until no dry streaks remain.
  8. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  9. Scoop rounded 1-tablespoon portions of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  10. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, switching the sheets' rack positions and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the tops are set and the bottoms are lightly golden.
  11. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes.
  12. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool completely.
Glaze the cookies
  1. Whisk the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth and thick enough to cling to a cookie.
  2. Dip the top of each cooled cookie in the glaze and let excess drip back into the bowl.
  3. Return the cookies to the racks until the glaze sets, about 30 minutes.

Notes

For soft cookies, mix the dough just until no dry streaks remain. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze without the glaze for up to 2 months, then thaw and glaze. A gluten-free all-purpose flour blend may work as a swap, though the texture can vary.