Description
These Soft Ricotta Italian Christmas Cookies are tender, moist treats perfect for holiday celebrations. Made with creamy ricotta cheese and enhanced with almond glaze and festive sprinkles, they offer a delicate almond flavor and a cake-like texture that melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For the Almond Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Holiday sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the creamed mixture until smooth, ensuring a creamy and flavorful dough.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently just until combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cookies.
- Portion Dough: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set but the tops remain pale for a soft and tender texture.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Almond Glaze: In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until the glaze is smooth and slightly thick, perfect for dipping.
- Glaze Cookies: Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the almond glaze and immediately sprinkle with holiday sprinkles for a festive touch.
- Set Glaze: Let the glaze set completely before serving to ensure a lovely, firm finish on each cookie.
Notes
- Cookies stay soft and moist for several days when stored in an airtight container.
- Ricotta cheese adds a tender, cake-like texture to the cookies.
- You can adjust the amount of almond extract in the glaze to make the flavor stronger or milder according to your preference.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
