Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl then whisk together and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, cream the butter then add the sugar and lemon zest then mix on high for about three minutes until light and fluffy.
Mix in the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla. Add the ricotta in and mix until fully combined. You should scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
Pour in the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. You can finish the dough off with your spatula making sure there are no errant pockets of flour or butter hanging around. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 350 towards the end of your chill time and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Portion out tablespoon-sized scoops of dough onto your lined baking sheets leaving a little over two inches between each cookie. You can refrigerate or freeze extra cookie dough if desired.
Bake at 350F for 11 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Allow to cool on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
While the cookies bake, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl to create a thin glaze for the cookies.
Dip each of the cooled cookies into the glaze then return to the wire rack and decorate with sprinkles.
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Notes
Make sure to chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking or your cookies will flatten.
Make sure to space the cookies out about 2 inches apart so they don't stick to each other when baking.
Instead of vanilla, you could add 1 tsp of almond extract. Almond is another popular flavor option for these cookies.
Fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups then level it off with a knife. This is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the cup. If you have a kitchen scale to weigh the flour use that for more accurate results.
Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature so everything mixes together evenly.
When glazing the cookies dip the top side in then place on a cooling rack and let the excess drip off. Place a sheet of baking parchment underneath for easy clean-up.
The glaze can take up to 1 hour to set.
Choose whatever colored sprinkles you like to decorate them. I even have a recipe for making homemade sprinkles.
Raw dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for 3 months.
Unglazed baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months