The Cookie That Feels Like a Warm Hug (Yes, Italian Ricotta!)
Alright, let me set the scene—imagine a Sunday afternoon, snow dancing outside or maybe just the neighbor's leaf blower in the distance, and the house smelling like a bakery thanks to a big ol’ batch of Italian Ricotta Cookies. The first time I tried these, I was convinced ricotta belonged in lasagna. My Nonna gave me that look (the kind that says "let me show you how it's really done"), and the rest is sweet, soft history. And honestly—nobody’s ever complained when I turn up with a tin of these at family parties. Except my brother, who’s still salty I added lemon zest one Christmas (he'll live!).
Why You’ll Love These (Or: Cookie Diplomacy 101)
I pull out this recipe when I want to impress people without actually working that hard. The batter is forgiving—no fancy mixer needed—and my family devours these faster than I can say "save a few for tomorrow!" (Spoiler: they never do.) If you've ever struggled with cookies spreading into weird shapes—that used to be me too—but these come out soft, puffy, and oh-so-friendly every single time. Unless you forget the baking powder. Don’t ask. Anyway, these are the cookies I bake for folks who claim not to like sweets. Take that for what it's worth!
Let’s Talk Ingredients (Substitutions Welcome!)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (I actually like to use 1 cup whole wheat sometimes, but my cousin says "don’t mess")
- 1 cup white sugar (brown sugar in a pinch—it makes 'em a smidge chewier)
- ½ cup butter, softened (I've used margarine... wasn't my best moment, but it'll do)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (full-fat is classic but honestly, I've used part-skim, and no one noticed; my grandmother swore by Calabro, but get whatever isn’t close to expiring)
- 1 large egg (or two smaller ones if that’s what you’ve got—just cut back a tiny bit on the ricotta, maybe)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I go heavy-handed, not gonna lie)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch salt (Not measured, just, you know, a pinch between two fingers)
- For the glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2–3 tablespoon milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla (I sometimes throw in lemon zest, apologies to my lemon-averse folks)
- Sprinkles (only if you’re feeling festive or have little helpers nearby)
How I Really Make These (Not Just the Fussy Way)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Or 180°C if you’re one of my friends over in the UK (hello!). Line a baking sheet with parchment. If you forgot to buy parchment, butter works, but sometimes they stick—but, hey, more for the cook.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Some days I use an old hand mixer; other days a wooden spoon and arm muscle. Doesn’t matter—just get them sort of airy.
- Add in the ricotta, egg, and vanilla. (This is usually where I remember I forgot to soften the butter, but honestly, a little microwave zap does the trick—just don’t melt it totally by accident, like I did that one time.)
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl because apparently that prevents clumps. Pour dry into wet and stir until you can still see a few streaks of flour. If it looks too thick, a splash more milk never hurt—unless it gets soupy. Then, start over. Sorry?
- Drop heaping spoonfuls (I just eyeball it, about a tablespoon each) onto the baking sheet. I once tried making them round like little snowballs but they flatten out anyway, so just plop ‘em down and call it rustic.
- Bake for about 12–14 minutes. When they're just barely golden on the bottom, you’re good. If they crack on top, even better! Let them cool for at least five minutes before glazing; otherwise the glaze slides right off. Learned that the sticky way.
- Whisk up the glaze and spoon (or drizzle, or dunk—whatever feels right) over the warmish cookies, then toss on those sprinkles. This step is mandatory if you have kids around, optional if you want them to look "grown up." I never skip it. Cute cookies taste better, don’t @ me.
Notes From My Well-Worn Apron
- If you only have salted butter, just skip adding extra salt. It's honestly fine, despite what recipe purists claim.
- I once chilled the dough overnight—honestly, didn't seem to matter much? But it did make the cookies a bit puffier.
- Oh, and swapping lemon zest for orange once was divine. Pro tip from scatterbrained me: zest before juicing or you'll be chasing a slippery lemon around like a cat with a marble.
Little Experiments (AKA My Cookie Trials and Errors)
- Chocolate chips—gimmick or genius? Turns out, just okay. The dough's super soft so chips sometimes sank.
- Lemon glaze with extra zest = tangy magic. Poppy seeds one time? Looked weird, tasted... eh.
- I’ve even used almond extract instead of vanilla, and it was lovely, if a bit sweet.
If You Don’t Have the "Right" Equipment…
You can use a plain old spoon if you don’t have a cookie scoop (I still don’t own one). Mixing by hand works too, though you may have to lick some dough off your fingers—not a tragedy. If your oven is an ancient beast like mine, keep a sharp eye on baking time—it’s notorious for running hot and burning the bottoms if I daydream too long.
Storage (Though Mine Rarely Lasts Overnight)
Store any survivors in an airtight tub on the counter—they’re still super soft the next day, maybe even better (could be my imagination). If it’s really humid, keep ‘em in the fridge, but let them come to room temp before you eat them, or they'll taste oddly firm. Freezing works too, but honestly, I rarely get that far. Serious Eats has a neat post on freezing cookie dough if you’re into batch prepping.
How We Serve 'Em at My House
Big glass of milk or a shot of espresso—take your pick. These also turn up at our Christmas-Eve dessert table, right next to Nonna’s pizzelles. Oh! And sandwiching two together with Nutella? Not traditional, but who’s judging?
Tricks Learned the Hard (Crumbly) Way
- Don’t even think about skipping the cooling time before glazing, unless you want a sticky mess that glues the cookies to your plate. I ran out of patience once. Never again!
- Mixer on high speed? Actually, I find it works better if you go slow; less splatter, less "decorating" the kitchen walls with flour.
Cookie Q&A Time (Because Folks Always Ask...)
- Can I use low fat ricotta? Yep! They’re just a touch less rich, but honestly, unless you’re eating them next to the full-fat version, you won’t notice. Or maybe you will. Taste test?
- Do these need sprinkles? No, but why not? Even grown-ups need a little joy—you can see more sprinkle ideas at King Arthur Baking’s sprinkle guide. (I got sucked into that page for hours the other day...)
- Can I freeze the finished cookies? You sure can, but glaze them after thawing. Otherwise, the glaze gets all sweaty. Not a vibe.
- My dough’s too sticky. Is that normal? Oh, totally. Just lightly flour your hands or chill it for ten. If it’s soupy, maybe re-read the ingredients—speaking from experience here.
- Egg allergy, substitute? One friend swears by a flax egg; I tried it and it worked, plus you feel quite hip and healthy.
So there you have it—a chatty, real-deal guide to Italian Ricotta Cookies. If you want to see a step-by-step one day, check out Sugar Salt Magic’s photo tutorial—I learned a lot form that one. Got a tip or a question? Send a carrier pigeon or just leave a comment below. Happy baking, buddy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
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1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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2In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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3In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add ricotta cheese, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest; mix until well combined.
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4Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms.
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5Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Let cookies cool on a wire rack.
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6For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over cooled cookies and let set before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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