I will admit, I had fun picking recipes from Giada DeLaurentiis' cookbook, Giada's Kitchen, New Italian Favorites this past week. But like anything, I can only make so many dinner recipes when I finally need dessert. So for today and tomorrow, you will get the dessert finale from the book. I chose the Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a Lemon Glaze and the Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.
I wanted to try the ricotta cookies because I have a recipe, which I highlighted in December, called Angie's Ricotta Cookies. Angie's has a little more butter and no lemon juice or lemon rind. There is a little bit of a difference between the two, but the lemon flavored cookie takes it hands down. I loved Giada's because they were light and lemony. Angie's are still one of my favorites, there is definitely a heaviness to hers, but the cake like "melt in your mouth" quality is there. (It could be the butter!)
I served the cookies to friends who came for dinner last night. Both cookies (the Lemon Ricotta and Chocolate Hazelnut) went over extremely well. So well, I had them for breakfast. The lemon cookies definitely go better with tea, the chocolate with coffee...but, then again, it's just my preference. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
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
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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.
