Description
Delightful lemon pixie cookies bring zesty brightness to classic shortbread with powdered sugar coating. Crumbly, tangy treats offer perfect balance between sweet citrus notes and buttery texture for delectable dessert enjoyment.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60 grams) powdered sugar (for rolling)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Set oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheet with parchment paper for optimal cookie performance.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl until uniformly blended, creating a smooth foundational mixture.
- Butter Transformation: Cream butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and significantly expanded, achieving a cloud-like texture.
- Moisture Infusion: Blend egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest into the butter mixture, creating a silky, aromatic consistency that promises vibrant flavor.
- Dough Development: Gently fold wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Chill the dough for 30 minutes to develop structural integrity and create signature crinkly surfaces.
- Cookie Shaping and Coating: Form tablespoon-sized dough balls, rolling each generously in powdered sugar to create a delicate, snow-white exterior that promises a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
- Baking and Finishing: Arrange sugar-coated dough balls on prepared baking sheet with ample spacing. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges firm up while centers remain tantalizingly soft, creating the perfect textural contrast.
- Cooling Process: Rest cookies briefly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack, allowing them to cool and solidify their delicate, crackled exterior.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading and create a more compact, crinkly texture during baking.
- Zest with Precision: Use fresh lemon zest and avoid the bitter white pith underneath the lemon skin for a pure, bright citrus flavor in your cookies.
- Sugar Coating Technique: Roll cookies generously in powdered sugar just before baking, creating a beautiful crackled exterior that adds visual appeal and subtle sweetness.
- Temperature Control Matters: Remove cookies from the oven when edges are set but centers look slightly underbaked to guarantee a soft, tender texture that melts in your mouth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 153
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 33 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg