Italian Christmas Cookies

These beautiful cookies are a traditional Italian Christmas cookie, but you certainly don’t have to be Italian to enjoy them! They have a wonderfully light and tender texture with a scrumptious lemon icing. Decorate them with sprinkles or colored sugar. You can even tint the icing for a fun, festive look.

Print Recipe

Italian Christmas Cookies

These festive Italian Christmas Cookies are an Italian tradition. The ricotta cheese gives them a lovely texture, and the lemony icing is the perfect touch.

Servings

cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

• 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• variety of food colors, sprinkles, colored sugar, for decorating

Servings cookies Ingredients Cookies 2-1/2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1-1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk 2 tsp grated lemon zest 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract Frosting 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar 3 to 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice variety of food colors, sprinkles, colored sugar, for decorating

Instructions

Cookies

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, add the sugar, softened butter, ricotta cheese, and lemon zest. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute or until the mixture is fluffy; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
3. With the mixer on low speed, beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. With floured fingers, carefully shape the dough into 54 (1-inch) balls; place the balls 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until the cookies are set but not brown. Cool for 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating, about 15 minutes.

Icing

1. In small bowl, with a spoon, beat together the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice until the icing is smooth and spreadable. If the icing is too stiff to spread, add additional lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency. Tint some icing with food color, if desired.
2. Using knife or small spatula, spread 1/2 teaspoon of frosting onto each cookie; immediately top with colored sugar or sprinkles. Let stand about 30 minutes or until the icing is set. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Try to roll 54 balls of the same size, this will help ensure that they all cook evenly.

Make your own colored decorating sugar. You'll be able to customize your colors, it's quick and easy, and it only costs pennies to make!