inspochef
Back to Camille Roux
Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs

Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs

These are the morning pastries you make when you want bakery-level crumb but refuse to touch a rolling pin. Whole-milk ricotta and lemon zest create an incredibly tender, highly hydrated dough that we simply drop onto a sheet pan. The result? A lacy, cloud-like interior trapped inside a shattered, crunchy sugar shell.

Camille Roux
Camille Roux
Prep: 18 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes
8
easy
breakfastsnack
drop-doughcafe-pastryricottalemon+1

Save a copy to your collection for editing

Timeline

46 minutes
0m15m30m45m
Prep Lemon Sugar
Cut In Butter
5m
Whisk Wet Ingredients
Fold Dough
Scoop and Brush
Add Sugar Crust
Bake Drop Puffs
18m
Cool and Set
10m

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup Cold cultured butter, cubed(1 stick, cut into half-inch pieces)
  • 1 cup Whole-milk ricotta(Must be whole milk. Drain if visibly watery.)
  • 1/3 cup Heavy cream(For the dough)
  • 2 tbsp Heavy cream(For brushing)
  • 1 large Lemon(Zested and juiced)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 cup Turbinado sugar(Raw sugar works too)
  • 1 pinch Flaky sea salt
  • 1 large lemon lemon zest(Zest of the lemon is used in step 1, before juice is extracted in step 3.)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice(Juice of the lemon is used in step 3.)

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup Granulated sugar and the zest of 1 large Lemon. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until it resembles wet sand.

    3 min

    Tip: Don't skip this. The friction extracts the volatile oils so your kitchen smells like a Sorrento lemon grove.

  2. 2

    Whisk 2 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tbsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, and 1 tsp Kosher salt into the lemon sugar. Toss in the 1/2 cup Cold cultured butter, cubed. Snap the butter pieces between your thumbs until you have walnut-sized shards.

    5 min

    Tip: We want a lacy crumb, not sand. Leave the butter chunks relatively large.

  3. 3

    In a separate small bowl, whisk together the 1 cup Whole-milk ricotta, 1/3 cup Heavy cream, 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste, and squeeze 1 tbsp Lemon juice from your zested lemon.

    2 min

  4. 4

    Pour the wet ricotta mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the dough just until a shaggy, wet mess forms. Stop while there are still floury patches.

    3 min

    Tip: Overmixing here makes the crumb tight like a bad alibi. Embrace the shaggy mess.

  5. 5

    Using a large ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop 8 craggy mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Gently brush the jagged tops with the remaining 2 tbsp Heavy cream.

    3 min

    Tip: An ice cream scoop is the shortcut here. The unrefined edges will catch the oven heat and turn into pure crunch.

  6. 6

    Shower the mounds generously with the 1/4 cup Turbinado sugar and a single 1 pinch Flaky sea salt.

    2 min

    Tip: Don't be shy with the sugar; this creates the shattered cafe-style crust.

  7. 7

    Bake on the middle rack until deeply golden, puffed, and the crust feels hard to the tap.

    18 min

    Tip: Visual cues: look for a shattered, golden-brown crust. If they look pale, leave them in.

  8. 8

    Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let time do the work by resting them before tearing into the crumb.

    10 min

    Tip: Cooling sets the internal structure. If you eat them immediately, they might seem gummy.

Chef's Notes

Cami's shortcut note: No rolling, no cutting. Use an ice cream scoop for jagged edges—those ridges catch the oven heat and turn into pure crunch. The ricotta acts as a brilliant cheat code here. Because it is mostly fat and water, it hydrates the flour without aggressively developing gluten, giving you a lacy crumb with almost zero effort. Butter is not a garnish, so use cultured butter. We're not suffering for brunch.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs take to make?

Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs takes about 36 minutes total. That includes 18 minutes of prep and 18 minutes of cooking.

How many servings does this recipe make?

This recipe makes 8 servings.

What skill level is needed for Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs?

This recipe is rated easy — it's beginner-friendly and straightforward.

What ingredients do I need for Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs?

The main ingredients are: All-purpose flour, Granulated sugar, Baking powder, Baking soda, Kosher salt, Cold cultured butter, cubed, Whole-milk ricotta, Heavy cream, Heavy cream, Lemon, Vanilla bean paste, Turbinado sugar, Flaky sea salt, lemon zest, lemon juice.

What type of meal is Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs?

Craggy Lemon & Whole-Milk Ricotta Drop Puffs is categorized as: breakfast, snack.