Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Finally . . . a Giada recipe worth making!

In a recent post, I shared how my recent attempts at recipes by Giada DeLaurentiis, the host of Food Network's Everyday Italian, didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. Despite having a small list of fabulous ingredients, the crostini wasn't very good at all. The chocolate chip marscapone cupcakes were good . . . but not fantastic, as I imagined they would be. So, I set out to find a Giada recipe worth the effort of making. I chose lemon ricotta cookies because they had a good rating on the food network's website, and because I had all the ingredients - including a container of ricotta cheese on the verge of expiring.

The result? Soft, fluffy cookies with a great lemon flavor, sweet, but a little tart. If you're not a fan or soft cookies - or lemon - skip this one . . . but otherwise, it's a great way to use lemons and ricotta cheese! For me, it's a keeper.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis, from the Food Network

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large 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.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) 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.

Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. 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.