In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients until evenly combined: flour, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a mixer, mix the wet ingredients: On medium-high speed, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer’s speed to medium and add in the eggs, one at a time. Then, beat in the ricotta, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until evenly combined.
Gradually, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on medium-low speed until no pockets of flour remain (scrape the sides of the bowl if needed). Do not overmix.
Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the dough. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Tip: To prevent the cookies from expanding too much in the oven, the dough needs very cold.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop dough, about 1.5 tablespoons per cookie, onto the lined sheet pans. Place each cookie dough about 2 to 3 inches apart. The dough is sticky, so use a cookie scoop if possible. You may need to do multiple batches - just refrigerate the dough until ready for the next batch.
Bake for 14 to 15 minutes or until golden brown at the bottom. The top should look a bit pale. Once ready, remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batches. Tip: don't open the oven until the cookies are ready, otherwise the cookies could deflate.
Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar with the fresh lemon juice. Tip: add the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time, mixing until desired consistency. I like my glaze to be a bit thicker, so I use less lemon juice.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle each cookie with some glaze. Top the cookies with lemon zest if desired. Enjoy!