Growing up my Mamma would make these cookies we called “Farmhouse Cookies”. They were sugar cookies but for some reason I only remembered that I didn’t LOVE them.
After I sent out my request for the best sugar cookie recipes to make for Valentine’s day my mom convinced me to try out our traditional childhood cookies. After pulling out the ingredients we had an idea to spice them up and turn them into ITALIAN SUGAR COOKIES!!! So that’s what we did!
Imagine if a classic Italian cookie (the kind with the sprinkles) married a sugar cookie and they had a baby. That’s what we invented and I’m here to tell you this is one of the best things that has ever happened to a sugar cookie!
We put our fresh homemade ricotta in them and it makes them so moist and delish and the lemon and almond combo is sooo good!
My mom hates cream cheese (I think it’s an Italian thing) so I couldn’t talk her into a cream cheese frosting so instead we made a whipped lemon mascarpone frosting. The mascarpone has more of a buttery flavor and it makes the frosting just that much better! These are worth your time if you like Italian flavors and sugar cookies!
Lemon Ricotta Sugar Cookies
Course: DessertIngredients
- Cookies:
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup ricotta (homemade is best)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp almond extract (can use vanilla instead)
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 ¼ cups flour
- Frosting:
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ c heavy whipping cream
Directions
- Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg and beat well.
- Add ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest, almond extract and mix.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Roll out on a floured surface ¼”-½” thick and cut out desired shapes.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Frosting:
- Combine all ingredients using a hand or stand mixer.
- Frost cookies after they have cooled completely!
