Citrus Ricotta Cookies: A Taste of Sunny Goodness
- Carbohydrate 85.8369716666667 g
- Cholesterol 133.987 mg
- Fat 19.90691 g
- Fiber 2.07378336260716 g
- Protein 14.1467116666667 g
- Saturated Fat 11.823408 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (187g)
- Sodium 110.486 mg
- Sugar 83.7631883040595 g
- Trans Fat 1.59667 g
- Calories 575 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the icing, place all ingredients in a plastic bag and mix until it comes together.
- If it is too dry: add more milk a bit at a time.
- If it is too runny: add a bit of powdered sugar to bring it to the right consistency.
- You don't want it to be too runny. You want the icing to stay on the cookie.
- ALTERNATELY, You can also melt some chocolate and drizzle over the cookies for a more dramatic look:)....
- 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. Make sure the butter is softened. You can help it along by pounding it with a mallet. You want to 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 orange zest. Beat to combine.
- Stir in the dry ingredients.
- Lastly, add the coconut and stir just till combined.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. I used an ice cream scoop that was half filled.
- I noticed it was a breeze using it.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes( I sometimes don't have the patience...and remove them after about 5 minutes).
- Drizzle icing.
Swapping whole milk ricotta for part-skim varieties introduces too much water into the dough, yielding a tough, bread-like crumb rather than the signature tender interior expected from Italian bakery-style drops. Achieving the correct cake-like texture relies on the fat and whey proteins suspended in whole milk cheese, which physically disrupt gluten development when flour is folded in. Softening the butter fully before beating it with sugar for a full three minutes incorporates microscopic air cells that expand under heat, giving the heavy dough the lift it requires without relying solely on chemical leaveners. Incorporating eggs one at a time ensures the emulsion does not break, maintaining a uniform fat distribution that prevents dense spots in the finished bake. Lemon juice provides acid to react with the baking powder, while the sugar content acts as a tenderizer by binding available water molecules so they cannot readily hydrate the flour proteins. Spooning the portions onto parchment-lined baking sheets allows the heat to circulate evenly at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, producing edges that turn a pale golden hue within twelve to fifteen minutes. Allowing the baked batch to rest on the hot pan for twenty minutes lets the interior structure set completely before glazing. Because the high moisture content of whole milk ricotta slows retrogradation, these baked goods retain their soft crumb for days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
