One of the great joys in life is baking cookies. Most cookies don’t take long to prepare and take little time to bake. If you count eating the batter as you go, cookies are about as close to instant gratification as you can get!
For that reason I don’t bake cookies too often, there just too hard to resist.
It’s amazing what you can forget through the years, and the emotions that can surface when those memories come flooding back to you. For so long I had blocked out the memories of my time with Mama Jeanette, but over the past few years some of the dishes I’ve made have triggered those memories.
A few weeks ago I saw a post with ricotta cookies on Google+ and the memories of those lovely lemon cookies came rushing back to me. Mama Jeanette was always making her own ricotta cheese, and used it in a wide variety of dishes, but I remember the first time she made her lemon ricotta cookies for me like it was yesterday…..sigh
Those delicious little cookies went so well with an espresso or just by themselves. I’d often find a plateful waiting for me when I took my afternoon break.
The cookies had a light texture with an almost cheesecake like flavor, but its the lemon glaze that pushes them over the edge. If there are any left after the first day, store then in a loosely sealed container, otherwise the moisture will ruin the consistency of the cookie.
Mama Jeanette’s original recipe was made with regular lemons, but when life gives you Meyer lemons, you adapt.
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 ounces softened unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
- 1 Meyer lemon finely zested
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
- 1 Meyer lemon finely zested
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and sea salt together in bowl and set aside
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the butter and the sugar, beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes
- Add the eggs one at a time until well blended.
- Add ricotta, meyer lemon juice, and zest, mix until well blended
- Add in dry ingredients and mix just enough to incorporate
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, and place cookies about and inch apart. I made my cookies about 2 tablespoons each .
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown slightly on the edges.
- Allow cookies to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack or until cool to the touch
- In a small bowl mix the confectioners sugar, meyer lemon juice and zest together until well blended.
- Using a tablespoon, spoon the glaze onto the cookie and spread it around using the bowl of the spoon.
- Allow cookies to dry for about 30 minutes. (If the container is too air tight they will soften as they sit, and by the third day the texture will not be as good)
There’s a country song that Trisha Yearwood sang quite a few years ago titled “The Song Remembers When” it talked about how hearing a certain song would take you back to another time in your life……. I think food can do the same thing. So many wonderful memories include food, sharing it with friends and family, lovers and strangers. Food can magically transport you to another place time….. these cookies took me back to a time, when life was simpler and cookies made everything better.
I love making cookies too for the reason that they come together so quickly. Then I bring them to work so I don’t eat them all!
Sweet story and lovely cookies. I can’t wait to make them.
These look like the perfect use for my Meyer lemons! Love the ricotta too.
You had me at Meyer Lemon. Then you stopped me dead in my tracks with ricotta. Wow!
These are beautiful, Chef! Funny, I have a bunch of meyer lemons in my fridge, but my inclination was to make donuts…maybe I have to rethink that!
Heads up love!! I threw you a shout out on my feature over at NBC.
http://nbclatino.com/2013/02/06/food-blogs-we-love-the-posh-latin-cook/
Thank you so much Elena! You have my name as Daniels though, its Dennis. Would it be possible to change it?
Also, I saw you joined my community on G+, we do live cooking demo’s and other events for Google, I work directly with the reps from the food and drink division in San Francisco. I’d love to have you be a part of them , it’s a great way to get noticed by Google!
talk to you soon
Dennis
I made something very similar to this a couple years ago. They were so good!
That is exactly why I make cookies…cookie dough
Seriously though,I love the addition of ricotta in these cookies. Such a fun flavor to incorporate with the lemon!
Oh yes… yes yes yes. I have a feeling I wouldn’t be able to resist eating this whole plate. Looks marvelous!
Chef,
I love this ricotta cookies, they are more like litte cakes, it got more flavor as you incorporate tangy lemon in there. I made once and dipped the half of cookie with chocolate.
These cookies look lovely, Dennis! I’ve never baked with Meyer lemons, but this would definitely be a great first recipe to try with them. Thanks for sharing!
These lemon ricotta cookies are amazing. I will try these because my sons love lemon flavors in their pastries. Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis!
Totally going in my cookie file.
Oh my word, I love the look of these! I seldom bake cookies, but you had me at “cheesecake-like flavour”
Chef these look like they could simply melt in our mouth. I am a sucker for all things lemon, and am thinking of making some scones with a lemon glaze for valentine’s day for some of my girlfriends. I am marking these to try to make for my dad. They just sound amazing. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and Valentine’s Day and that in spite of the cold weather you are staying warm!!!! Always sending my very best your way, hugs!
These cookies look perfect! I love the idea of using the ricotta. I bet it makes them so moist and then the lemon – so refreshing! Talk about a burst of lemony sweetness in every bite. The cookie monsters in this house will love them. I love them so much that I listed them in my most recent post in a list of Meyer lemon recipes that caught my eye. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you, and they really were a wonderful cookie, there is something about lemon that does tend to brighten the day and in the middle of winter it was a very welcome feeling!