Lime Snowball Cookies
Lime Snowball Cookies have bright flavor and a buttery-soft texture you're really going to love! They're made with lime zest and juice, and covered in a snowy layer of sugar. These sweet cookies are a treat inspired by New Englanders' love of sharing easy-to-make, homemade cookies at gatherings throughout the year.
Servings: 25 servings
Calories: 131kcal
Ingredients
For cookie dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime zest (about two regular limes worth)
- 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- ¼ teaspoon salt
To coat cookies:
- 2-3 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Make cookie dough:
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the butter into chunks. Place the butter and the 1 cup of confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the ingredients together on high speed for three minutes.
- Add in the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix them in.
- Add in the salt and flour: mix them in on low speed, scraping once or twice, and continue only until the dough just comes together.
- Remove the dough and squeeze it together a few times by hand. Flatten the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the cookie balls:
- Place the 2-3 cups of confectioners' sugar in a bowl and hold it aside - you'll use this to coat the cookies when they come out of the oven. Have a cooling rack ready as well.
- Use a teaspoon: scoop a teaspoon of dough and roll it between your hands into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place it on the lined cookie sheet. Continue until you fill the baking sheet, leaving about 1½ inches between dough balls.
- Bake the cookies for 18 minutes: they should be lightly browned on the bottom. . Remove the pan from the oven.
- Roll each baked cookie in confectioners' sugar, then place it on a cooling rack.
- Continue making cookie balls, baking them, and coating them in sugar until they're all done.
Coat them in sugar—again:
- Once the cookies are cool (15-20 minutes) roll each one a second time in confectioners' sugar.
- Store the double-coated, cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Makes about 75 Lime Snowball Cookies.
Notes
- Remember to allow at least 30 minutes for the cookie dough to chill before you bake them. This helps the cookies keep their shape when baking and prevents the butter from melting out of the dough.
- Lime Snowball Cookies are also quite good when chilled! Stash some in the fridge for a cool, sweet treat on hot days.
Nutrition
Serving: 3cookies | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
