Christmas Cookies - Two of Four - Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

I’ve said it before. I love lemons. They just make me smile. Bright and sunny – they just remind me of summer and the flavor is light, clean and yummy. So when I saw Giada De Laurentiis make these on the Food Network I quickly downloaded the recipe. I made them for the first time last year for my man-love while he was deployed. Out of all the cookies I sent he talked about these the most, so when we were going through my recipes for Christmas 2011 bake-off he was sure that these made it to production. 

These bake to be super soft and the first bite gets you with a zing of lemon. Enjoy.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

2 ½ 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

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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.