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If you're a fan of lemony treats, you've gotta try this recipe. Me? I'll take lemon desserts over chocolate any day. When my sister, Nelda, and I were kids (a loooooong time ago!) our favorite store-bought cookie was Lemon Coolers. They were made by the Sunshine company. Those cookies sent us straight to lemony heaven. I don't know when they stopped making them. All I know is I haven't seen them in stores for many years. I've missed them.
Until now. This Lemon Snowball Cookie recipe is reminiscent of those Lemon Coolers from my childhood without the artificial ingredients. It's really just a modification of my Traditional Snowball Cookies made with simple ingredients and resulting in a a melt-in-your-mouth, delicate texture.
Step-by-step photos for making
Lemon Snowball Cookies
Step 1. Assemble the ingredients:
- flour
- powdered (confectioner's) sugar
- butter
- salt
- lemon
- 100% food-grade lemon oil (this is not the same thing as lemon extract)
About the lemon oil. I experimented with flavoring these cookies with lemon juice, lemon extract, crushed lemon candies, and lemon zest. I couldn't quite achieve the flavor I was looking for, particularly in the lemony powdered sugar coating. I found some other recipes that used instant lemonade mix, but I wanted to stay away from the artificial ingredients in those mixes. Using a combination of lemon zest and lemon oil delivered the best results for me. Lemon oil is very concentrated and flavor-packed. It is available at Whole Foods. I bought mine on Amazon.
view on Amazon: 100% lemon oil (food-grade)
Step 2. Zest the lemon. A Microplane is the easiest tool for this task.
view on Amazon: Microplane
Step 3. No creaming of butter or adding ingredients in a specific order is required. Simply put everything into a bowl, and mix on a low speed with an electric mixer until combined. The mixture should be in moist crumbs that will hold together when pressed. (Either a stand or hand-held electric mixer is fastest and easiest. However, you can blend the mixture by hand with a pastry blender if you don't own a mixer.)
- TIP: Add more lemon oil for a stronger lemon flavor. My recipe calls for adding 1/8 teaspoon of lemon oil to the dough; that gives the cookies a subtle lemon flavor. For a stronger lemon flavor you can add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon oil to the dough.
view on Amazon: stand mixer, handheld electric mixer, pastry blender
Step 4. Roll or scoop walnut size balls of cookie dough. To maintain a light texture, don't over work or compact the dough too much. Form the balls just tightly enough that the dough holds it's round shape. I prefer to use a small scoop for quick, even, perfectly shaped cookies. Arrange cookies on parchment paper or a silicone mat on a large baking sheet. My 13x18" baking sheet holds a full batch of these cookies.
view on Amazon: small cookie scoop, 13x18" baking sheet, economical set of silicone mats--(These mats are highly recommended. They have rounded corners for a perfect fit inside half and quarter baking sheets, and they are considerably more economical than the Silpat brand mats--3 mats for less than the cost of 1 Silpat)
Step 5. Bake the cookies just until you see a few of them begin to brown ever-so-slightly. Mine bake for 18 minutes.
Step 6. While the cookies bake, combine powdered sugar and lemon oil. Whisk vigorously so that the oil gets evenly mixed throughout. (Warning: Do not substitute lemon extract or lemon juice; it is wet and will dissolve some of the sugar and make it lumpy.)
view on Amazon: 100% lemon oil (food-grade)
Step 7. Once out of the oven, allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, and while they're still warm, roll them in the lemony powdered sugar. Set them on a rack until completely cooled. (I place my rack inside a baking sheet to contain the powdered sugar mess.)
view on Amazon: cooling rack (it fits perfectly inside a 13x18 baking sheet)
Step 8. When the cookies have completely cooled, roll them in powdered sugar a second time.
- Why are they rolled in powdered sugar twice? Rolling them in powered sugar when they are still warm results in a soft, sweet, melty layer surrounding the cookie, as the sugar melts into the butter in the cookies that hasn't cooled & hardened yet. After the cookies have cooled and the butter has hardened, rolling them in powdered sugar again gives the cookies an even powdery outer layer. The double layers of powdered sugar with 2 different textures is much of the appeal of these cookies.
Even better the next day. Many cookies are best eaten freshly baked. But, these taste even better a day or two or three after they're baked. Both the flavor and texture improve. That makes these a great make-ahead cookie.
Freezable. You can also freeze these. Roll them again in powdered sugar after they're thawed to restore their appearance, if necessary.
Make them egg-shaped for Easter. It's easy! When you portion out the balls with a cookie scoop, use your hands to form them into egg shapes before baking. They make a fun Easter treat. To make a gift bag like the one pictured below, use 2 cellophane bags. Put Easter grass in the bottom of one bag and cookies in the second bag. Insert the cookie bag inside the first bag and rest it on top of the grass nest. Tie the tops of the two bags together with ribbon.
I love the texture and lemony flavor of these cookies. They're tender and crumbly on the inside, with that awesome double layer of powdered sugar on the outside. Keep a napkin handy when you eat them. They're messy to eat, but in the best possible way!
These delicate, pretty little cookies always look festive on cookie platters. They're wonderful with afternoon tea and perfect to serve at weddings or showers.
Make it a Yummy day!
Monica
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
- 1/8 teaspoon* plus 1 teaspoon 100% lemon oil, divided
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 2 cups, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, only add a pinch of salt)
- 2 cups flour
- zest from 1 lemon (1 tablespoon)
Add butter, 1/8 teaspoon* lemon oil, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, salt, flour, and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, blend on low speed until mixture is combined but still crumbly.
Form dough into walnut-size balls. (A small scoop makes it easier.)** Place on prepared baking sheet 1/2" apart. Bake 15-18 minutes.
While the cookies bake, add 2 cups of powdered sugar to a medium size bowl. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon lemon oil and whisk vigorously to evenly distribute the oil in the powdered sugar. Set aside.
Removed baked cookies from oven, and leave on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack; then roll again in powdered sugar.
Store cookies in airtight container. Flavor and texture of cookies improve the next day, and for several days after.
May be frozen for up to 1 month. After they are thawed, if necessary, roll them again in powdered sugar to restore an even appearance.
*Add more lemon oil for a stronger lemon flavor. 1/8 teaspoon of lemon oil gives the cookie dough a subtle lemon flavor. For a stronger lemon flavor you can add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon oil to the dough.
**Form them into egg shapes for a fun Easter cookie.
