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
This recipe makes a big batch of soft, tender cookies. The dough is great to freeze, too, so half could even be baked fresh, the other half frozen. The whole batch makes about 56 large cookies or 90 small ones. Greatly modified from Allrecipes.
Servings: 90 small 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.
