10 Days of Cookies: Ricotta Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• Cookies

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted Zeal Creamery Butter, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup whole Zeal Creamery Milk ricotta

• Frosting

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted Zeal Creamery Butter, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Directions

1. For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the granulated sugar and Zeal 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.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Pour about half of the dry mixture into the Zeal 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 over-mixing. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. For the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and Zeal 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.

7. When the cookies have cooled, top each cookie with about 2 tablespoons of frosting, using an offset spatula or a Zeal 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.