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vanilla bean ricotta cookies

OatandSesame avatar
Recipe by
Oat& Sesame
@OatandSesame
Barrington, IL

a soft vanilla bean cookie - perfect for Easter brunch!

yield 40 cookies
cook time 15 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For vanilla bean ricotta cookies

  • COOKIES
  • 2 1/2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1 stick
    unsalted butter, softened to room temp
  • 1 3/4 c
    granulated sugar
  • 2
    whole eggs, plus one egg white
  • 1
    (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese, drained preferably
  • 2 tsp
    vanilla bean paste
  • ICING
  • 1 1/2 c
    powdered sugar, more or less to get ideal icing consistency
  • 4 tsp
    half n half
  • 1 tsp
    vanilla bean paste
  • lemon for zesting

How To Make vanilla bean ricotta cookies

  • 1
    Place the ricotta cheese in a strainer over a bowl and place in the fridge overnight (or a couple hours) to drain out all the excess liquid. You can skip this if you have high quality ricotta at your store.
  • 2
    Place oven racks in the upper portions of your oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (You will reduce heat to 350 when you put the cookies in)
  • 3
    Cookies: In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • 4
    In the bowl of a standing mixer, add butter and beat on medium for 10 seconds.
  • 5
    With the mixer running on medium, slowly pour in the sugar. Beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, stopping once to scrap down the sides of the bowl. You should get a nice and fluffy result.
  • 6
    Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.
  • 7
    Add the ricotta cheese and the vanilla paste. Beat to combine.
  • 8
    Stir in the dry ingredients.
  • 9
    Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. To get a more uniform shape and even baking, I like to roll them into balls and chill the sheets for about 30 minutes before I put them in the oven.
  • 10
    Turn down the oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes, until bottom edges have color and tops are starting to get a little color. Rotating them halfway through and keeping an eye on them around minute 12.
  • 11
    Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
  • 12
    Glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, half and half and vanilla bean paste in a small bowl and stir until smooth. You want the glaze to be fairly thick, but still loose enough that it naturally spreads to coat the cookie.
  • 13
    Spoon about ½ teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread.
  • 14
    Add a little lemon zest to the tops of each. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before storing.
  • 15
    NOTES These cookies are best eaten within a couple days.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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