These pretty cookies—a lemon lover’s dream—have thin, crisp shells covered in snowy sugar. Your girl will love shaping them into balls and rolling them in powdered sugar before they bake.
The dough has to chill, so make it the night before you’re ready to bake up a batch of these lovely, irresistibly chewy cookies. Reminiscent of lemon meringue pie, they are a wonderful addition to a Thanksgiving cookie table!
YOU WILL NEED:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the lemon juice and vanilla and beat until blended. Turn off the mixer. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Position 2 racks evenly in the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Put the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl.
Scoop up a tablespoonful of the chilled dough and roll it into a rough ball between the palms of your hands (the dough will be very sticky, so you will need to wash your hands occasionally while you are forming dough balls), then drop it into the powdered sugar and roll until completely covered. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Press down on the dough balls to flatten them slightly.
Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the cookie sheets. Continue to bake until the cookies are cracked and puffed and the edges are just starting to brown, about 6 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to move the cookies directly to the rack. Let cool completely and serve.
Want more great, girl-friendly cookie ideas? Look for our newest cookbook American Girl Cookies from Weldon Owen and American Girl.
Adapted from American Girl Parties© 2016 Weldon Owen, Inc. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and American Girl. © 2018 American Girl. All American Girl marks are trademarks of American Girl.