Description
Delight in these light and buttery Lemon Snowball Cookies, bursting with fresh lemon zest and coated generously with powdered sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth treat perfect for holidays or any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus more for coating the cookies)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- grated zest of 3 small lemons
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure a properly heated environment for baking the cookies evenly.
- Cream Butter Mixture: In a stand mixer or using electric beaters, cream together the softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the creamed mixture and mix just until the dough comes together; give it a final stir by hand to ensure even incorporation without overworking.
- Shape Cookies: Using about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, roll each portion into a ball and place them on an ungreased baking sheet spaced about one inch apart, allowing room for slight spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove them when they are still pale and soft to prevent overbaking.
- Cool and Coat: Let the cookies partially cool on the baking sheet before gently removing them to a wire rack. While still barely warm, roll each cookie in powdered sugar, then give them a second coat once completely cooled to achieve the signature snowball look.
Notes
- Lemon snowball cookies are wonderfully tender, resembling melt-in-your-mouth shortbread.
- Use fresh lemon zest for the brightest flavor; the lemon juice can be saved for another recipe.
- If your powdered sugar is lumpy, be sure to sift it before rolling the cookies to ensure a smooth coating.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before storing to maintain their texture and sugar coating.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 99 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 79 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
