When we moved to our new home 7 years ago, I told our landscaper that I loved lemons and roses. Much to my husband's dismay, they planted over a dozen rose bushes and two lemon trees in our small backyard. This means weekends in January are busy spent pruning back bushes and trees that have taken over our backyard. Of course, on the positive side, we have plenty of pretty roses to look at in the summer and we are overwhelmed with lemons in December/January.
Looking for something different, I stumbled on this tasty recipe from Everyday Italian, Lemon Ricotta Cookies.
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 juice
1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
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. Pack the cookies into a decorative container
I made these for the holidays and they were a nice change from traditional Christmas cookies. The ricotta makes them very moist. They are almost a cross between a ake and a cookie.
