Italian Ricotta Cookies
Updated January 21, 2025
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus 2 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
425 grams sugar (about 2 cups)
1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese (15 ounces), preferably fresh
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
480 grams all-purpose flour (about 4 cups)
10 grams baking soda (2 teaspoons)
4 grams fine sea salt (about ¾ teaspoon)
450 grams confectioners’ sugar (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup to ½ cup milk, as needed
Colored sprinkles or sanding sugar, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (72 servings)
18 grams carbs; 15 milligrams cholesterol; 111 calories; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 4 grams fat; 69 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 13 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Using an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks butter with sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ricotta, lemon zest and 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla and beat well. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, then beat in flour, baking soda and salt. Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours and up to a week.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 350 degrees and line several cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake until pale golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
- Step 3
Melt remaining tablespoon butter. Whisk confectioners’ sugar to break up any large lumps, then whisk in melted butter, lemon juice, remaining 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla and enough milk to make a spreadable icing. Spread icing on cooled cookies, decorate with sprinkles or sanding sugar, if desired, then let set for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
I accidentally added the full 4 tsp of vanilla to the dough. It worked out fine as my Italian friends told me this was the best version of this cookie they have ever had.
This is a terrific recipe and my cookies were a huge hit. They turned out beautifully. After reading the comments, I used all 4 tsp vanilla extract in my dough, and an additional 1 1/2 tsp in the icing. One tip - make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to bake these. Each tray will only be in the oven about 15 minutes, but chances are you will have 4+ trays, and you want to leave a bit of time for your oven to come back up to temp every time you open it. Will def make again!
The millennial thing is tiring. I love anise and I'm a "millennial." Maybe your coworker's just a jerk who doesn't like liquorice.
Has anyone ever added mini chocolate chips or nuts to this recipe? Grazie mille!
This is a minority opinion. I made these for the first time today. After looking at the other reviews, I decided to add all 4 tsp. of vanilla to the dough, and I put in the zest from a whole lemon. The texture is nice, but both my husband and I think they are rather flavorless, even with a double dip of the icing. I was making them for a lunch tomorrow but decided not to take them. My friends think I'm a great baker, and these aren't up to my usual. So disappointed.
TIP: If you have a "cookie scoop" (THINK: 1TBS ice cream scoop w/a lever) You can make near-perfect rounded balls w/o getting your hands sticky by swishing it in a bowl of ice water between each scoop. I also kept the dough and cookie sheet in the refrigerator to further facilitate the process.