Grapefruit Ricotta Cookies

Italian cookies are some of the best in the world and these cakey, fruity rounds are perfect for a tea tray or to go with that afternoon coffee or tea. The ricotta cheese makes them moist and fluffy, almost kind of like cheesecake, with a tart/grapefruit glaze. Nonna would definitely approve.

Cook time: 90min Prep time: 30min Total time: 120min

Servings: about 48 cookies

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
One 15 oz. container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 white, pink or ruby red grapefruit, zested
3 Tbsp. white, pink or ruby red grapefruit juice plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set it aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium-high speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the ricotta, grapefruit zest, 3 Tbsp. juice and vanilla and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed and add the flour in 3 increments, mixing just until blended and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Scoop the cookies onto parchment-lined baking sheets, about 12 to a pan. They will spread a little bit. I like to use a 1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) scoop to keep them all the same size.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. They should be lightly browned on the bottom. Cool on racks.
While the cookies cool, combine the 3 Tbsp. juice and powdered sugar in a medium bowl to make a glaze. Dip the top of the cooled cookies into the glaze and return to the parchment lined pans to dry and harden. If the glaze is too thick, add a few drops of grapefruit juice to thin it out. It will take an hour or so for the glaze to become hard enough so that you can pack the cookies.

Make-ahead: Cookies will keep for up to 3 days, wrapped at room temperature and can be frozen up to 3 months.

By Carla Snyder

Carla has spent the past 30 years in the food world as a caterer, artisan baker, cooking school teacher, food writer and author of 6 cook books including the James Beard nominated Big Book of Appetizers. Her passion is sharing fresh, cooked-from-scratch weeknight meals that cut prep time and practically eliminate that nightly sink full of dishes.

Grapefruit Ricotta Cookies