Easter Ricotta Cookies
Italian ricotta Easter cookies cut into festive shapes, decorated with dark chocolate or filled with hazelnut spread.
Ricotta replaces butter in this pliable Italian cookie dough, which rolls cleanly after a long chill. Cut it into Easter shapes for chocolate decoration, or make windowed sandwich cookies with a generous hazelnut filling.
Instructions
- 1
Drain the ricotta very well, then press it through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add the sugar and salt and mix with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
- 2
Mix in the two yolks and whole egg. Sift in the flour a little at a time and fold with the spatula until the mixture begins to form a dough.
- 3
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand until cohesive. Shape into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
3 hr
- 4
Briefly knead the chilled dough to restore its flexibility, then roll it on a lightly floured surface to 5 mm (about 1/4 inch) thick. Cut Easter shapes; for sandwich cookies, cut matching 6 x 8 cm (2 1/4 x 3 1/4-inch) ovals, leaving half whole and cutting windows in the rest.
- 5
Heat a conventional oven to 175°C (347°F). Arrange the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. If still pale at the end, move the tray briefly to the upper rack. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
20 min
- 6
Melt the chopped dark chocolate over a bain-marie or in short microwave bursts. Use a small paper cone or piping bag to outline and decorate the cooled Easter shapes, then leave the chocolate to set.
- 7
For sandwich cookies, pipe the hazelnut spread onto each whole base, top with a matching window cookie and dust with powdered sugar. Let all decorations set before serving or storing.
Ago's Notes
- Drain the ricotta very well before weighing and sieve it smooth; excess moisture makes the dough sticky.
- Chill the wrapped dough for at least 3 hours or overnight. Briefly knead it again before rolling to restore its flexibility.
- The source makes about 30 individual cookies, or about 15 sandwich cookies if every piece is paired. A mixed batch of filled and chocolate-decorated shapes is also possible.
- If the cookies are still pale near the end of baking, move the tray to the upper oven rack briefly. Let them cool completely before filling or decorating.
- Hazelnut spread can be replaced with the same amount of pistachio spread or jam. Check spread and chocolate labels for milk, nuts and soy.
- Store for 3–4 days in a cookie tin or under a glass dome at cool room temperature.
Allow the chocolate to set before stacking or packing the finished Easter cookies.
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