Adapted from the great Lidia Bastianich's famous Lemon Ricotta cookies, these Grapefruit Ricotta Cookies have just a subtle undertone of grapefruit. For those who are a bit afraid of grapefruit's intensity, tang, and bitterness, these cookies are for you.
They have all the flavor, but none of that bite!
The Great Grapefruit
When I was growing up, fruit always ran aplenty in my household. My mom served a huge platter of fruit every night after dinner.
It was mainly meant for my dad, but the four of us occasionally snagged some for dessert, too. My mom also frequently served grapefruit as a sort of appetizer before dinner.
My sisters and I used to pour, and I mean really pour, sugar on top of those suckers and devour the sugar-laden grapefruit sections with our serrated grapefruit spoons.
It's one of those things I never thought much about until I went to other people's houses for dinner and there was no fruit or grapefruit and certainly none of those spoons that were specifically meant only for removing individual sections of grapefruit from each half. I wonder what happened to those spoons...
Pairing Grapefruit & Ricotta
Clearly, I developed a penchant for grapefruit back then. And, it's still one of those foods that I really love and try to find uses for other than dousing in sugar.
And so was born these grapefruit ricotta cookies! The strong flavor of grapefruit paired with the smooth and creamy ricotta offset each other perfectly to make for a delicately flavored bite.
I do still dip these in sugar cuz, well, the flavors complement each other so well. I guess me and my sisters were onto something back then!
Preparing These Cookies
These Grapefruit Ricotta Cookies couldn't be easier to prepare. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, cream the butter and sugar then add in your eggs, ricotta, vanilla and the zest of one grapefruit (love me some citrus zest, it smells wonderful!) then mix wet and dry ingredients.
Drop onto cooking sheets, bake, cool, then glaze with a simple mixture of grapefruit juice and powdered sugar. I like to decorate the top with a little extra zest for added color, too. These cookies keep for up to a week at room temperature.
I hope you enjoy this variation on a classic as much as I do!
Looking for more cookie recipes? Give these a try:
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 8 ounces fresh whole-milk ricotta drained, homemade or store-bought
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons grapefruit zest from 1 large grapefruit, plus more for sprinkling on top of icing (optional)
Icing
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, strained
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside
- Cream the sugar and butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well in between additions. Add in the ricotta, vanilla and grapefruit zest, and beat to combine. Add the flour mix and beat on low until just combined, but do not overmix
- Drop the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the sheet pans. Place in oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies are puffed, golden and cooked all the way through, about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks
- When the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice to make a smooth glaze. Adjust the consistency with a little water or more confectioner’s sugar to make a glaze thick enough to stick to the cookies when dipped. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, sprinkle with additional grapefruit zest, if desired, and place on cooling racks to allow icing to set
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in a tightly sealed container
- Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to a week
- Adapted from Lidia Bastianich
Nutrition
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Comments
Lynn
I, too, know the pleasure of homemade ricotta. I made mine with fresh goat’s milk. It was always good but when a batch turned out particularly well, I could eat it like ice cream and would have to summon what little will power I had to stop eating. These cookies were great with store bought (no longer have goats) but you’ve inspired me to make my own ricotta, again. Thank you.
Kimberlee Ho
Ah I loved reading this, Lynn! How wonderful that you had your own goats to produce such fresh milk for your ricotta. It's so wonderful homemade, I can imagine how extra wonderful it is with your own goat's milk! Thanks for baking and for sharing your thoughts!!