Back to School with Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Waaaaaaay back towards the end of August, my kids headed back to school. Being the good Mommy that I am, I wanted to give them a little treat for them to enjoy when they came home from their first day.

Instead of going with the traditional Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie that the kids all crave, I did something a little more...shall we say....selfish?

Ok, ok...these weren't JUST for the kids. I had been wanting to make these cookies for a while now and I just needed an excuse. I love anything lemon and throwing in that twist with the ricotta cheese had me intrigued.  Not to mention, it's a cookie created by one of my favorite celebrity chefs - Giada.

So after I shooed the kids out the door in the morning and spent some quality 'me' time by cleaning and playing on Facebook, I decided it was time to knock these out!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze


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

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.

Before the glazing...

After glazing...Yum!

The verdict?

I could eat the glaze by the spoonful!

My husband and I LOVED them. My middle son, Jason did as well. (He's a lemon lover like me.) But the other two would of preferred the Chocolate Chip cookies. Stinkers!

I think these are wonderful cookies for perhaps a little more grown up palate. Serve with a warm cup of tea and you've got yourself a delicious ending to a lovely little luncheon with some friends.

Enjoy!