Grandma always made ricotta cheese cookies for us! These tasty cookies are soft on the inside and topped with a delicious sugared icing. This Italian Ricotta cookies recipe is just like Nonna used to make. Make some for your family tonight.
Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies Recipe
My grandmother always made Italian Ricotta cheese cookies for us during the holidays. Batches and batches were produced, and some even made it to the Christmas cookie tray. My family loved these so much, she would make them “just because” at different times of the year. While these are traditionally thought of as a Christmas cookie by many, it did not stop my Grandmother from making ricotta cheese cookies for picnics, the weekend, or just because we’d ask her, “Grandma, can we bake something!? We’ll help!”
My grandmother was a saint. LOL
After she passed away, no one made these quite as often. Oh sure, everyone would scarf them down as fast as they were iced, but for some reason, they just seemed to leave the cookie baking rotation. Which is a real shame because they are very easy to make.
This recipe is written exactly as she wrote it out for us 35 years ago, with only a few “pre” things moved up for your sanity (and mine). I hope you enjoy!
Tips for making these Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies:
● The shredded coconut for garnish would be the sweetened coconut found in the bakery aisle.
● The nuts that were used were always walnuts. You could also use almonds, although we never did.
● You could definitely use holiday jimmies, edible glitter, colored sugars, nonpareils, or sanding sugar as the garnish instead.
● Click here for instructions on how to make colored sugar (you can customize colors and save a lot of money!)
● How to make vanilla extract.
● We never used butter, always margarine. This was to prevent spread I assume.
Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies Ingredients:
● 18 TBSP Margarine, divided (2 1/8 sticks)
● 2 cups Sugar
● 3 Eggs
● 1 lb Ricotta Cheese
● 2½ tsp Vanilla Extract, divided
● 4 cups Flour
● 1 tsp Baking soda
● 1 tsp Salt
● 1½ cups Powdered Sugar
● 2 TBSP Milk
● Optional: Shredded Coconut or Ground Nuts for garnish
Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies Mise en Place:
● Stand Mixer,
bowl and beaters
● Spatula
● Measuring Spoons
● Measuring Cup
● Cooling Rack
● Shallow Bowl
● Small Plate(s)
Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies Dough Directions:
● Preheat oven to 350°F.
● Lightly grease several cookie sheets with Crisco shortening.
● Using a stand mixer, cream together 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) of margarine, 2 cups of white sugar.
● Add eggs, Ricotta Cheese, and vanilla extract; beat well.
● Add white flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
● Drop by teaspoonful onto prepared cookie sheet.
● Bake 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, or until lightly golden, do not over bake.
● Remove from oven to a wire rack. Allow to cool.
Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies Icing Directions:
● Prepare the powdered sugar icing by using a stand mixer to combine 1/8 stick (2 tablespoons) of margarine, 1½ cups powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
● To this add enough milk to make the icing soft but not runny.
● Add more powdered sugar if necessary.
● Tint icing with food dye or a colored food gel if desired.
● Place powdered sugar icing in a shallow bowl.
● Place shredded coconut or ground nuts on a shallow plate.
● Dip cooled cookies in powdered sugar icing then, immediately dip into shredded coconut or ground nuts.
● Allow iced cookies to set on a wire rack.
Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies Recipe
Frosted Italian ricotta cheese cookies made fresh.
Ingredients
- 18 TBSP Margarine, divided
- 2 cups Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 lb Ricotta Cheese
- 2½ tsp Vanilla Extract, divided
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 TBSP Milk
- Optional: Shredded Coconut or Ground Nuts for garnish
Instructions
1. Lightly grease several cookie sheets with Crisco shortening.
2. Using a stand mixer, cream together 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) of margarine, 2 cups of white sugar.
3. Add 3 Eggs, 1 lb Ricotta Cheese and 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract; beat well.
4. Add 4 cups white flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt; mix well.
5. Drop by teaspoonful onto prepared cookie sheet.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, or until lightly golden, do not over bake.
7. Remove from oven to a wire rack. Allow to cool.
8. Prepare the powdered sugar icing by using a stand mixer to combine 1/8 stick (2 tablespoons) of margarine, 1½ cups powdered sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
9. To this add enough milk to make the icing soft but not runny.
10. Add more powdered sugar if necessary.
11. Tint icing with food dye or a colored food gel if desired.
12. Place powdered sugar icing in a shallow bowl.
13. Place shredded coconut or ground nuts on a shallow plate.
14. Dip cooled cookies in powdered sugar icing then, immediately dip into shredded coconut or ground nuts.
15. Allow iced cookies to set on a wire rack.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
CIA Masters Collection 6 Piece Measuring Spoon Set -
KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red -
Award-Winning Professional Grade 3-Piece Black Silicone Spatula Set By DI ORO - 600°F Heat-Resistant Seamless Rubber Spatulas - Best Spoonula, Small Spatula, Large Spatula for Cooking & Baking
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 6g
If you like to bake cookies, you will love these fabulous cookie recipes:
● Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe – Looking for a terrific bacon cookies recipe? Like chocolate chip cookies? Like bacon? Then I bet you and your family will enjoy these delicious bacon chocolate chip cookies. The bacon adds a bit of salt to compliment the sweet. For some reason, bacon and chocolate just go together well (two of my favorite foods, whoohoo!!).
● Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies Recipe – If you like thumbprint cookies, you will love this delicious update to that old classic recipe. These chocolate caramel thumbprint cookies combine the rich taste of chocolate with the smooth taste of caramel for a truly decadent cookie!
● Spiced Molasses Cookies Recipe – Old fashioned spiced molasses cookies are a winter cookie classic. These slightly sweet, highly spiced cookies store well and can be frozen. You can almost taste the holidays in every delicious bite.
● For more Recipes on Ann’s Entitled Life, click here.
● If you enjoyed this post, be sure to sign up for the Ann’s Entitled Life weekly newsletter, and never miss another article!
[…] Italian Ricotta Cheese Cookies from Ann’s Entitled Life […]