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Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies

Make soft Italian-American ricotta Christmas cookies with lemon zest and a simple icing. This original home-kitchen version includes measured ingredients, cooling cues and refrigerated storage guidance; it is not a claimed family heirloom or tested batch.

Last updated

Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies

Soft lemon cookies with a light glaze

Illustrative platter of lemon-glazed ricotta cookies, pine-nut cookies and almond biscotti

The short version

Make soft Italian-American ricotta Christmas cookies with lemon zest and a simple icing. This original home-kitchen version includes measured ingredients, cooling cues and refrigerated storage guidance; it is not a claimed family heirloom or tested batch.

Prep
20 min
Cook
14 min
Total
1 hr including cooling
Serves
30 cookies

Ingredients

1× batch

This recipe doesn’t list a serving count, so it scales by batch.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta, drained if watery
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more only if needed
View list

Instructions

  1. 01

    Prepare. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

  2. 02

    Mix. Beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, ricotta, vanilla and lemon zest. Stir in the flour mixture just until no dry flour remains; do not beat heavily.

  3. 03

    Portion. Scoop rounded tablespoons onto the trays, leaving 2 inches between them. If the dough is too loose to scoop, refrigerate for 20 minutes.

  4. 04

    Bake. Bake one tray at a time for 12–15 minutes, until the tops are set and the bottoms are light golden. Timing varies with scoop size. Rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

  5. 05

    Glaze and store. When fully cool, stir powdered sugar with lemon juice into a thick, pourable glaze. Dip the tops and let set. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days; freeze unglazed cookies for up to 1 month as a quality guideline.

Larry’s rule: Glaze a warm cookie and the icing runs away. Let the rack do its job.

Quoting or citing this recipe? Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” andlink to this page.

Before you cook

What to know about Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies

What it is

Make soft Italian-American ricotta Christmas cookies with lemon zest and a simple icing. This original home-kitchen version includes measured ingredients, cooling cues and refrigerated storage guidance; it is not a claimed family heirloom or tested batch.

Why this method works

Ricotta adds moisture to a butter-and-flour cookie. Mix only until combined, bake until set, and glaze after cooling so the icing stays on the surface.

Key ingredients and what they do

  • Flour provides structure; measure carefully.
  • Butter and sugar give texture and sweetness.
  • Ricotta adds moisture; drain it if watery.
  • Lemon zest flavors the dough and lemon juice forms the glaze.

Smart substitutions

Keep ricotta, butter and flour as written for the first batch. Adjust glaze thickness with a little lemon juice only if needed.

Make ahead and leftovers

Cool completely and refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Freeze unglazed for up to 1 month as a quality guideline; glaze after thawing. Do not reheat glazed cookies.

What to serve with it

  • Serve with coffee or tea after dinner.
  • Keep soft cookies separate from crisp biscotti; label allergens on a mixed tray.

Did you make this?

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Questions Larry gets asked

How long does italian ricotta christmas cookies take to make?
About 1 hr including cooling start to finish — roughly 20 min of prep and 14 min of cooking. That yields 30 cookies.
What do you need to make italian ricotta christmas cookies?
11 ingredients, starting with 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt. The full list with quantities is on this page.
How do you start italian ricotta christmas cookies?
Prepare: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
How do you know when italian ricotta christmas cookies is done?
Glaze and store. When fully cool, stir powdered sugar with lemon juice into a thick, pourable glaze. Dip the tops and let set. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days; freeze unglazed cookies for up to 1 month as a quality guideline.
What is the most common mistake with italian ricotta christmas cookies?
Glaze a warm cookie and the icing runs away. Let the rack do its job.
Can you make italian ricotta christmas cookies ahead of time?
When fully cool, stir powdered sugar with lemon juice into a thick, pourable glaze. Dip the tops and let set. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days; freeze unglazed cookies for up to 1 month as a quality guideline.

Share or cite this recipe

Last updated

Written recipe guidance, not a measured Test Kitchen result. Photos may illustrate the dish; they do not establish that a batch was tested. Only recorded experiments in the Test Kitchen count as measured comparisons. Sources and evidence labels.

When the recipe needs a rescue

Technique guidance, not recorded test results.

Glaze slides off
Cool the cookies fully before glazing. Use the recipe’s measured glaze first, then adjust thickness sparingly. This formulation has not been batch-tested by Larry.
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Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” and link to this recipe page.

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