Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (35 g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the coating
Butter, powdered sugar, flour, and cornstarch are a classic meltaway base; the powdered sugar and cornstarch help create a delicate, powdery crumb rather than a chewy cookie.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Make the dough
You start by creating a fluffy, lemony butter base.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar together until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat again until smooth and fully combined; the mixture should smell very lemony.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low just until a soft dough forms and no dry streaks of flour remain.
The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but not wet; overmixing at this stage can toughen the cookies, so stop as soon as everything comes together.
- Cover the bowl or wrap the dough and chill it for about 30 minutes.
Chilling relaxes the dough and firms the butter, which helps the cookies hold their shape and stay tender—many lemon meltaway recipes rely on this short chill.
2. Shape and bake
Now you turn the chilled dough into melt-in-the-mouth cookies.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Scoop 1–1 1/2 tablespoon portions of dough and roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms.
- Arrange the balls on the prepared baking tray, leaving a little space between them; they spread only slightly.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the bottoms are pale golden and the tops look set but still very light in color.
You don’t want browning on top—these cookies stay soft and light; overbaking will make them dry instead of meltaway-tender.
3. Coat in powdered sugar
This is where they get that signature “snowy” finish.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes; they’ll still be warm but set enough to handle without breaking.
- Place 1 cup powdered sugar (and the optional extra lemon zest) in a shallow bowl.
- Gently roll each warm cookie in the powdered sugar to coat.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are fully cooled, roll them again in the powdered sugar for a thick, even meltaway coating.
The first roll sticks to the slightly warm surface; the second roll gives that lush, bakery-style powdered sugar layer you see in many meltaway and snowball cookies.