Lemon Snowdrop Recipe with a Secret To Save You Time

Lemon Snowdrops are a light shortbread-type cookie studded with finely chopped pecans and coated liberally with powdered sugar. Nice for cookie trays at Christmas. Don’t miss the time-saving tip at the end of this post. I’ll show you how I coat these cookies with powdered sugar en masse.

What do you do when a friend won’t accept well-deserved payment for a service?

Time to get creative…

When my favorite Christmas tree decorator hinted he would accept some kind of lemon-flavored Christmas cookies as payment, I considered that my working orders. I surprised him with lemon thumbprints last year, but wanted something different this year.

My tradition-following gene is apparently mutated.

My inspiration for this Lemon Snowdrop Recipe:

One of my favorite cookie cookbooks is Great Cookies by Carole Walter. Her recipe for Snowballs seemed like a good place to start. By all appearances, they were the same as what we called Mexican wedding cookies when I was growing up.

The first change was to make them lemon-y. For lemon flavor, add one teaspoon of lemon oil. I like lemon oil better than lemon extract for a brighter, more natural, but intense lemon flavor. If you prefer, substitute 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel for a milder hint of lemon even non-lemon lovers will enjoy.

Whenever recipe directions call for handling each cookie individually, I look for ways to streamline the process. 

What’s wrong with the old way of dipping cookies?

Because Lemon Snowdrops need 2 coatings of powdered sugar, check out my secret time-saving process below. Or, stick with the old-fashioned way. That would be pressing each cookie, one at a time, into a bowl of powdered sugar, twice on each side. (I’ll admit the latter method has its benefits. All that individual attention usually produces more broken cookies, unsuitable for anybody but the baker to eat.)

A quicker way for coating Lemon Snowdrop Cookies with powdered sugar:

Offload baked cookies upside down onto a cooling rack set over a piece of waxed paper.

While still slightly warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar using a sieve.

Flip them, and sprinkle top side with powdered sugar again using a sieve full of powdered sugar.

Allow cookies to cool completely.

Sprinkle top side for the second time using a sieve full of powdered sugar.

Move rack off of waxed paper and press each cookie, top-side up, into the sugar left on the paper giving the bottom a second coat.

Thank-you to each of you in 2012 for your thoughtful comments, your (sometimes challenging) questions, and your continued encouragement. May God bless you with good eats and good memories during this time of celebrating Jesus Christ, our Savior.

P.S. If you make one of my recipes over the holidays and have a question, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line or leave a comment. I will try to answer ASAP. paula

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Lemon Snowdrops

Yield: 4 dozen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Total Time: 53 minutes

A lemon-flavored shortbread-type cookie studded with finely chopped pecans and dressed liberally with powdered sugar

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Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups pecans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon oil (or 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel for milder lemon flavor)
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Using a food processor with a metal blade, finely chop pecans along with 1/4 cup of flour. Pulse 3 or 4 times, then process steadily for about 8 seconds.
2. Add remaining flour and salt to pecans and again, pulse a few times until combined.
3. Add room-temperature butter to large bowl and beat with mixer on medium-low until light and creamy.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, water, vanilla, and lemon oil.
5. Add chopped pecan-flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 portions, mixing just until combined. Don't overwork.
6. Press dough into a ball, wrap well, and chill at least 30 minutes.
7. Make tablespoon-size balls and place onto lined (parchment paper or silicone mat) cookie sheets. Leave them as balls, if desired, or slightly flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar.
8. Bake in preheated, 325-degree F oven 20-25 minutes or until the bottom starts to brown.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
10. Offload baked cookies upside down onto a cooling rack set over a piece of waxed paper.
11. While still warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar using a sieve.
12. Flip them, and sprinkle top side with powdered sugar.
13. Allow cookies to cool completely.
14. Sprinkle top side for the second time using a sieve of powdered sugar.
15. Move rack off of waxed paper and press each cookie into the remaining sugar on the waxed paper so now the bottom also has two coats.(Sugar will melt a little in the beginning, thus requiring more than one coat.)
16. Store in airtight container between layers of wax paper.

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  KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - White
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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188 Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 20mg Sodium: 24mg Carbohydrates: 19g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 10g Protein: 2g

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