- INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- A few tablespoons turbinado sugar for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon or orange zest
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
This is a nice sweet way to start the day without feeling too guilty. You get your protein from the ricotta and there really isn’t that much sugar. I freeze any leftovers to enjoy for breakfast all week long.
DIRECTIONS:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend.
- Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the ricotta, then the egg, lemon juice and almond extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar.
- Bake until the biscuits just become pale golden on top, about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Cool on racks.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
* They’re even better the next day but the crunch will be gone
*These freeze well
When you’re in the mood for a nice light breakfast with a citrus poppy seed punch, why not try my Lemon Ricotta Biscuits…they’re truly one of my favorites. I always make them when I have leftover ricotta, which happens a lot since I always buy the large sized container of Polly-O. For some odd reason, that brand (which, in my opinion, is head and shoulders better tasting than any other brand) is super expensive here and I refuse to let any go to waste. Oh how I long for the days when my Shop-Rite in NJ put that container on sale for $1.99! Now I pay $9.99 — yup you heard right, and it NEVER goes on sale.
These delicious biscuits actually started as a muffin recipe I saw Giada prepare on the Food Network, but after making them I decided they were way too dense for a muffin and would make a much better biscuit….and the addition of poppy seeds and a top sprinkling of crunchy turbinado sugar would only make them better, right? (Hey…this is the stuff that keeps me up nights) . I think I was right and that was one sleepless night that was worth it.