Butterballs Egg-Free Cookie Recipe

Butterballs cookies include chopped pecans, toffee bits, and lemon pudding mix are a delicious trio in this cookie recipe.

 

 

Back Story

I got this cookie recipe from a former coworker about ten years ago. After biting into the sugary confection, I wouldn’t leave her cubicle until she’d forked over the recipe.  I miss her. She got married and retired from the paper not soon after.  She is one of those women who disappeared into her new husband’s life, which I find frustrating. I’d like to know how she is. Doesn’t everyone need girl talk at some point? I certainly do. #householdfulloftestosterone

Melt in your mouth cookies.

These butterballs, which are both light and rich, thanks to the pudding mix and a roll in powdered sugar, which is also in the cookie dough.

Note, let the cookies cool completely before rolling in powdered sugar. Otherwise, the warmth from the cookies totally melts the powdered sugar and you’re left with partially coated cookies. They’ll still taste good but they won’t have the lovely, powdery white appearance of one of my favorite childhood breakfasts, Hostess powdered sugar donuts, the miniatures. Did you ever have them? Chocolate came in second after those billowy confections.

My friend got the recipe originally from a Taste of Home magazine but I tweaked it to amp up the lemon flavor. The original recipe just includes the lemon pudding mix. I added lemon extract, the juice of one lemon and lemon zest to amplify the sunshine flavor. I think it works. Lemon is the perfect flavor to match with pecan, don’t you think?

Are you hosting a tea? These are great cookies for tea. They are small and can be eaten in just a bite or two.

Butterballs Egg-Free Cookie Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar, plus more for decoration
• 1 package instant lemon pudding, 3 oz
• 2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup toffee bits

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light, about three minutes..
2. Beat in lemon pudding mix, water, lemon extract, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt.
3. Slowly add flour and continue beating.
4. Stir in pecans and toffee bits.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Prepare baking sheet with either a piece of parchment paper or Silpat.
7. Using a teaspoon or a cookie scoop, roll into one-inch balls. These cookies do not spread
8. so you may be able to fit 15 to 18 one baking sheet, depending on size.
9. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
10. Let cool completely then roll in powdered sugar.
11. Yield: 48 cookies

What have you been baking?

Are you looking for more lemon cookies?

What about an egg-free chocolate chip cookie?