Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

My niece, Angie found this recipe on the Food Network and I decided to make it for her Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner at Christmas. Now I saw the pictures of the cookies and if it had been my decision I would have passed these right on by. Unappealing would be a word that would apply, but ugly would be my favorite, white cookies with pale, pale yellow icing sort of dripping off the side of some of them. There was nothing pleasing to the eye about them. I'm telling you this so you know what to expect. What you're not going to expect is the taste, fresh lemony, moist, and delish. If these don't make it to your top 10 favorite cookie list, I'll be amazed. Everyone loved them, kids and adults. Close your eyes and take a bite.

These would be great for Super Bowl XLIII

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
About 3 dozen

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container of whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh, not bottled)
1 lemon zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh, not bottled)
1 lemon, zested

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon for each cookie)onto the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges, don't over bake. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container. Heaven knows they need all the help they can get to be pretty.