Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups unbleached Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
8 ounces ricotta cheese, drained
2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
 ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confection sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Directions:
Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside. 

Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper.

Cream the sugar and butter together in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (or a hand mixer works fine also) mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Reduce the speed to medium, and crack eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition.   Add the ricotta cheese, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix to combine.  Next, add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined – Do not over-mix.

Plop the dough in heaping tablespoons onto a lined baking sheet.  Place in oven, and bake at 325°, rotating the pan halfway through baking time until cookies are puffy, golden, and cooked all the way through, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven, and cool on wire racks.

When the cookies are COMPLETELY cool, make the glaze.  In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a smooth glaze.  You can adjust the consistency with a little more juice (or water) or more sugar to make glaze thick enough to stick to the cookies when dipped or drizzled.  Hold each cookie with two fingers, then dip the top of the cookies in a glaze and let dry on racks for about 2 hours before storing.  Lemony and mangialicious.