Lemon Shortbread Cookies
These cookies are sandy and crumbly, tart and lemony, and definitely addicting, especially if you’re a fan of lemon desserts.
I made these cookies to take to a party and loved them so much, I made another batch the next day. I love the rich buttery cookie, the crumbly sandy texture, and the tart lemon glaze. I dressed them up with a little sparkling yellow sugar.
They’re quickly to put together and easy to roll out. The dough does need to be chilled so it’s not sticky.
I like to roll out cookie dough on a Silpat. I also cover the dough with plastic wrap so I don’t have to add additional flour, which results in a really tender, totally scrumptious cookie. Give this one a try and let me know what you think.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Icing
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- yellow food coloring, optional
- yellow sanding sugar, optional
Directions:
In a small bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch and salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and lemon zest. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until well blended.
Shape the dough in to a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.
Preheat oven to 350º.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough in to desired shapes. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets or cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake until lightly browned on the bottom about 10-12 minutes. Don’t over bake. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Icing
Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice and food coloring if using to create a thin glaze. Spread the glaze on each cookie and sprinkle with yellow sanding sugar before the icing dries, if using.
I just made these this past weekend and oh my goodness, they are heavenly. I tried a different shortbread recipe prior to this one that called for too much flour and not enough butter; but this one was just right. Buttery and crumbly and bursting with flavor. Not tough and flavorless from too much flour…they’re prefect. My only complaint is that I was having such a hard time not eating them! Will definitely be making these again!
I have made these so many times since finding this recipe! They have been a hit at every event I’ve taken them to. I do bake them for 7-8 minutes for a small cutout cookie to maintain moisture, but they are perfect! Thank you so much for posting!
Thanks Michelle – you definitely want to cook smaller or thinner cookies for a shorter time. Thanks for posting your time.