Bready or Not: Ricotta Cookies
This recipe for Ricotta Cookies makes a LOT, and they are soft, tender, and delicious.
I did some experimentation with this recipe. I divided the dough in half, freezing a portion for weeks. I made the first batch into big cookies, the next small. I learned that the glaze set VERY fast, so the sprinkles needed to go on the cookies right away.
The result I present to you, therefore, is a recipe with tested options. You can make the dough well in advance of baking and save yourself a lot of time. Or bake half now, half later. Or do the whole batch at once, feed a crowd the next day. Plus, you can use different sprinkles depending on the occasion.
Greatly modified from Allrecipes.
Bready or Not: Ricotta Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- cookie scoop or spoon
Ingredients
Dough
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Glaze for full batch
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons half & half
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup colored candy sprinkles
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually combine with the wet mixture, scraping the bottom to incorporate everything.
- At this point, the dough can be divided, if desired, to freeze half or all. If baking soon, wrap and chill the dough for about two hours or overnight.
- To begin baking, preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a large or small scoop or spoon to dole out dough balls spaced out on cookie sheet. Large cookies will bake in about 15 to 18 minutes; small cookies will need 11 to 13 minutes. The edges should be golden brown. Let cookies sit for about 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Make the glaze
- Mix confectioners’ sugar, milk, and almond extract until thick and smooth. Use the back of a spoon to spread atop a cookie. Immediately add a pinch of sprinkles. Continue with the rest of the batch.
- Let cookies rest until glaze is set, then transfer to a sealed container. Store at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Giftmas 2025! Help out the Edmonton Food Bank (and get a special recipe from me)
Giftmas is an annual tradition here on my site. Rhonda Parrish organizes the event to benefit the Edmonton Food Bank. Our goal this year is $1,500 Canadian which, because the Food Bank harnesses the power of connections and bulk buying will equal 4,500 meals. $1 = 3 meals. If you’re donating in American dollars, your donation will go even further!
Giftmas runs from December 1st through December 8th. So don’t wait to donate! Help out if you can.
Am I Canadian? Nope. Have I even been to Edmonton? Nope. Do I strive to care for my fellow human beings, even as they sadden and confound me? Yep. Times are hard. We need to extend kindness wherever and however we can.
As a THANK YOU to everyone who has visited this post, I’m sharing a Bready or Not post from years ago that makes a big platter of homemade candy/cookies using a number of ingredients you might donate or get from a food bank. This is a recipe that makes a lot to share, and that’s what Giftmas is really about: sharing.
Bready or Not: Oat and Toffee Grahams
Ingredients
- 12 graham crackers whole rectangles
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 sliced almonds or chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil and apply nonstick spray. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer side by side. They will not cover the entire surface of the pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, white sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Stir in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla until just mixed. Spoon the oat mixture atop the graham crackers, covering them completely.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is bubbly. Sprinkle all of the chocolate on top. Bake for another minute. Use an uneven spatula to smooth the softened chocolate to cover the graham crackers. Sprinkle on the almonds.
- Cool in pan. If slow to set, place in fridge until firm. Use a knife or–recommended–both hands to break the bars into pieces. Store in a sealed container with parchment or waxed paper between the layers.
- OM NOM NOM!
