Lemon Pixie Cookies (Printable)

Tangy soft-baked lemon cookies rolled in powdered sugar, ready in just over 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Coating

10 - ½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling

# How-to Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar, coating thoroughly.
07 - Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
09 - Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The powdered sugar coating creates a crackled, snow-dusted look that makes people think you spent far more effort than you actually did.
  • That bright lemon flavor cuts through the richness perfectly, so you never feel like you have eaten something overly sweet.
  • They come together in about half an hour, which means you can satisfy a cookie craving almost on a whim.
02 -
  • Overbaking is the easiest mistake to make here because the cookies look quite pale even when done, so pull them out the moment the edges feel set.
  • Using cold butter instead of properly softened butter was my biggest early failure, because it leaves lumps and the dough never comes together smoothly.
03 -
  • Roll the dough balls quickly and refrigerate them for ten minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm, because chilled dough holds its shape better and creates thicker cookies.
  • Zest the lemon before juicing it, because trying to zest a squeezed lemon is a frustrating and unnecessary battle you will not win.

Go back