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Ricotta Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Total 1 hour and 15 minutes (includes cooling time)
Active 45 mins
Makes 12 cookies
These sweet cookies, made with ricotta, are a treat that my mother used to make when I was little. The cheese gives them a wonderful, tender texture that is a hit with everyone from my kids to the local cowboys. I top these cookies with a light, creamy frosting that makes them extra sweet.
TIP: This batter is really stiff, so when you add the ricotta, you’ll want to take your time folding the cheese into the mixture until it is well combined. You can also make this recipe with a stand mixer, but the final folding should always be done by hand.
Ingredients
Cookies
Frosting
Directions
- For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the granulated sugar and butter together with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until well combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Pour about half of the dry mixture into the butter mixture and mix it in on medium speed then add the rest of the dry mixture in 2 more batches and beat just until combined, about 1 minute; avoid overmixing. Finish the dough by hand with a wooden spoon; the dough should be very stiff. Add the ricotta to the bowl, and slowly fold the ingredients together until they’re thoroughly mixed.
- Using 2 soup spoons, put dollops of the batter onto a baking sheet: Scoop about 3 tablespoons of the dough into one spoon, then use the other to slide it off onto the pan, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies until they are slightly golden on top and browning on the bottom, about 20 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool while you make the frosting, at least 10 minutes.
- For the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar, add the vanilla, and mix on medium-high speed until the frosting is very creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- When the cookies have cooled, top each cookie with about 2 tablespoons of frosting, using an offset spatula or a butter knife to spread it out, covering most of the domed part of the cookie. Sprinkle each frosted cookie with a large pinch of cinnamon.
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