Orange Ricotta Cookies Recipes

BLOOD ORANGE RICOTTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and creamy (2 or 3 minutes), then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between additions.
• Next, add the ricotta, blood orange rind and 3 tbsp of the blood orange juice (and the orange oil, if using).
• Mix well, then stir in the dry ingredients until an even dough is formed.
• Drop tablespoonfuls onto a parchment or silicone sheet lined baking tray.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or just until the edges are beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray for about 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.
• Repeat with remaining dough, until all the cookies are baked. Allow to cool completely before icing.
• Combine the 1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar, grated rind of one blood orange and 3 tbsp blood orange juice and stir until a smooth icing forms.
• Dip each cookie into the icing then place back on cooling rack until icing is set.
• Once completely dry, store the cookies in an airtight container.

ITALIAN RICOTTA COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy (scrape down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process).
• Mix in ricotta and vanilla extract then blend in eggs one at a time. Set mixer on low speed and slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 20 minutes of dough chilling.
• Scoop chilled dough out 1 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls (if it's too sticky just drop onto sheet using two spoons), drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (I don't recommend using dark non-stick pans for this recipe since the bottoms will already become pretty golden. Dark pans brown more than uncoated pans do).
• Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes until underside of cookies are golden. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool dip tops of cookies in glaze and return to wire rack, immediately add sprinkles if using. Allow glaze to set at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
• For the glaze:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice or almond extract, vanilla and 4 Tbsp milk until smooth, adding in more milk 1 tsp at a time to thin as needed (you don't want it to be very thin, it should be quite a bit thicker than a doughnut glaze).

ORANGE RICOTTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together the ricotta, granulated sugar, butter and egg and in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla and orange zest and mix on low until a smooth dough forms. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating halfway through, 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets, 20 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Dip the tops of cooled cookies, and let sit until the glaze hardens.
• Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days, or frozen for 3 weeks.