Lemon Snowdrops with Pecans
These melt-in-your-mouth Lemon Snowdrop Cookies are studded with pecans and coated in powdered sugar for a delicate, festive finish. Perfect for gifting or adding to a holiday cookie tray.
48
cookies
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (125 g) pecans
- 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 1 cup (227 g) 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 (240 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Nuts: Using a food processor with a metal blade, finely chop 1¼ cups pecans (lightly toasted). (Or chop with a knife.)Add 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon table or sea salt to pecans and pulse a few times until combined.
- Make the Dough: In a separate large bowl, add 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) to a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-low until light and creamy.Reduce mixer speed to low and add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon cold water, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon lemon oil.Add chopped pecan-flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 portions, mixing just until combined. Don't overwork.
- Chill the Dough: Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape and Bake: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).Roll chilled dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Optionally, slightly flatten each ball with a sugar-dipped glass. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned.
- Coat with Powdered Sugar: While still warm, place cookies upside down on a wire rack set over wax paper. Generously sprinkle 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over them. (I do this with a sieve full of sugar.) Flip and sprinkle the tops. When completely cool, dust again. Press the bottoms into the loose sugar on the paper for even coverage.
- Move rack off of the waxed paper and press each cookie into the remaining sugar on the waxed paper so that now the bottom also has two coats. (The sugar will melt slightly in the beginning, requiring more than one coat.)
- Storage: Store in a covered tin with wax paper or parchment between the layers. Freeze for up to a month after you have double-wrapped them.
Nutritional Information
Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg