Description
Traditional Lemon Shortbread Cookies are buttery, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth treats bursting with vibrant citrus flavor. Made with lemon zest, lemon oil, and fresh lemon juice, these cookies boast a tender texture and a refreshing lemon glaze that elevates their classic shortbread taste. Perfect for cut-out cookies, the dough is easy to handle and maintains its shape during baking, making these a delightful and visually appealing dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 60 grams (½ cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 grams (½ teaspoon) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal recommended)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon oil
- Lemon zest from ½ large lemon
- 20 grams (2 tablespoons) corn starch
- 135 grams (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
Lemon Glaze
- 120 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- Lemon zest from ½ large lemon
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a mixing bowl, cream together the room temperature unsalted butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the kosher salt, vanilla extract, lemon oil, and lemon zest from half a lemon, mixing to combine.
- Combine dry ingredients: Sift together the corn starch and all-purpose flour in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until a smooth dough forms. Avoid over-mixing to maintain a tender texture.
- Chill the dough: Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make handling easier and to prevent spreading during baking.
- Roll and cut shapes: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Use a 1 ¾ inch diameter cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Bake cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
- Prepare lemon glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and glossy.
- Glaze cookies: Once the cookies are cool, drizzle or brush the lemon glaze over them evenly. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing the cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- These lemon shortbread cookies feature a burst of citrus flavor from lemon zest, lemon oil, and fresh lemon juice, providing a vibrant taste experience.
- The dough is easy to work with and does not spread during baking, making it ideal for cut-out cookies with defined shapes.
- Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt as recommended for consistent seasoning.
- Chilling the dough ensures the cookies hold their shape and results in a tender texture.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness and glaze texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 16mg
