Lemon Ball Cookies

Buttery, melt-in-your mouth cookies with the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. And - get this - they're made with just 5 ingredients! No eggs, no baking soda, no baking powder. Just a few simple ingredients and 10 minutes in the oven.

I doubt you'll find an easier cookie to make. And the dough couldn't be simpler - I wasn't kidding above - there are NO eggs, no baking powder or baking soda, and no milk or other ingredients you typically find in cookies. It's just a simple dough of lemon, sugar, flour, vanilla, and butter. That's what makes them so divine, they melt on your tongue, and the tangy-sweet essence lingers; tempting you to reach for another ball.

This recipe makes 22 to 24 cookies, depending on how big you roll the balls. If you need more cookies, simply double or triple the recipe - it's as easy as that.

Get the little chefs in the house to help with this recipe! Since there are NO raw eggs, the kiddos can safely lick their fingers after rolling the balls!

Once the lemon cookie balls are baked, they're rolled in powdered sugar. This is where you can decide whether to roll them once (for a thin dusting) or twice (for a thicker dusting of powdered sugar). I rolled my balls twice.

I love making big batches of cookies so I have extra to store in the freezer. This is the perfect cookie for that because the recipe is easy to double and triple. Plus, the cookies freeze exceptionally well. Simply store the cooled cookies in an airtight container and they'll last up to 3 months in the freezer. Trust me, it's great to have sweets on hand for unexpected guests (or for dinner invitations somewhere else - you can show up with homemade goodies without having to cook anything).

Lemon Ball Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and salt together until smooth and creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar, lemon zest and vanilla. Beat in the flour. Mix until blended (the mixture will come together and form a dough).
Shape the dough into 22 to 24 balls, each about 1 to 1 1/2-inch in diameter. Transfer the balls to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes, until the underside is light golden brown (be careful when you check the bottom, the cookies are fragile when they're hot).
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes.
Place the remaining 3/4 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the cookies in the sugar. If desired, after you finish rolling the cookies once, roll them a second time (for a thicker powdered sugar coating).
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 1 week (or you can freeze them for up to 3 months).

Makes 22-24 cookies