Italian Ricotta Cookies

These Italian ricotta almond cookies are light and soft with a mild almond flavor and topped with sweet icing and sprinkles.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings Cookies

Calories 86kcal

Equipment

Measuring Cups and Spoons
mixing bowls
Hand or Stand Mixer
baking sheet
Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter softened
½ cup granulated sugar
8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract

For the glaze:

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons milk
Rainbow nonpareils

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer or standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and there are no more lumps. Add in the ricotta and mix until fully combined.
Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts, then mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda by mixing with a spoon or spatula. Then add the mixed dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined and it forms a dough.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take a small cookie scoop or a spoon to measure out tablespoon sized balls for each cookie. Roll them up and place each about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Place any unused dough back in the refrigerator to stay chilled.
Bake the cookies at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookie become lightly golden. The tops will remain light and the cookie will be soft.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until you get a slightly thick consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of milk to thin it out.
Hold the base of each cookie, one at a time, and dip the tops into the glaze. Then lightly shake off the excess and place them back on the wire rack. Do this carefully as the cookies are soft and can break.
Immediately decorate the tops with sprinkles. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.

Nutrition