Soft, tender cookies with vanilla glaze and festive sprinkles
Makes: about 30–36 cookies
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 10–12 minutes per batch
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (250 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract, optional
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange, optional
For the glaze
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- 3–4 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract, optional
- Red, green, and white Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line baking trays with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar for about 2–3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the ricotta, vanilla, almond extract, and citrus zest. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and roll or gently shape into balls. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared tray.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the bottoms are very lightly golden but the tops remain pale and soft. Do not overbake.
- Let the cookies rest on the tray for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.
Glaze
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Add a little more milk if necessary; the glaze should be thick enough to coat the cookies without running off completely.
Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze. Immediately sprinkle with red, green, and white sprinkles.
Leave them at room temperature for 30–60 minutes until the glaze sets.
Tip: For cookies that look like the photo, apply a generous layer of glaze and add the sprinkles while the icing is still wet. The ricotta keeps the inside especially soft and cake-like.