Frosted Lemon Balls

[Margo]

Frosted Lemon Balls

This is a recipe I inherited from my grandmother, Sylvia Rehder Witherell. I suspect that it came from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, or Joy of Cooking, as so many of her recipes did. But for me, it's one of my favorite "Oma's cookies."

Yields 7 dozen.

• 3 c flour
  
• 1-1/2 c sugar
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 2 T grated lemon rind (plus 1 tsp., see below)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 8 oz unsalted butter
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/4 c water
  
• 2-1/4 c sifted confectioners sugar
  
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
  
• finely chopped nuts, optional
  

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar till light. Beat in 1 T lemon rind and vanilla. Blend in eggs, then flour mixture. Drop by teaspoons onto parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes till edges lightly brown. Cool on racks.

When completely cool, dip tops in lemon icing (below) and sprinkle with finely chopped nuts.

Lemon Icing:

Heat 1/4 C water to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 1/4 C sifted confectioners sugar. Blend in 1 tsp. grated lemon rind. Keep icing warm while dipping cookies.

Keywords: Cookie, Christmas

( RG2058 )