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Lemon shortbread cookies

Zesty Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:12 minutes
Servings: 13 Cookies

Equipment

  • Electric mixer
  • Rolling Pin
  • Baking Tray
  • Cookie Cutter

Ingredients

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

  • ½ Cup Butter unsalted
  • ¼ Cup Sugar granulated
  • 1 Cup Flour all purpose
  • Pinch Salt
  • 1 Lemon zested
  • ½ Tsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
  • 2 Lemons zested and juiced
  • 1 Tbsp Whole Milk

Instructions

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

  • Cream butter and sugar together for approximately 7 minutes
  • Add lemon juice, zest, salt, and all purpose flour
  • Mix until dough forms, approximately 1 to 2 minutes
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate shortbread dough for 1 hour
  • Roll dough out until approximately 1/4 inch thick
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies
  • Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  • Use a fork to poke holes on the surface of the cookies to ensure even baking
  • Chill dough for an additional hour before baking
  • Bake cookies at 350 °F for 12 minutes, or until golden
  • Remove cookies from oven and let cool on a wire rack until room temperature

Lemon Glaze

  • Sift powdered sugar to remove any lumps
  • Zest and juice the lemons
  • Add lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and milk
  • Whisk until completely smooth
  • Drizzle glaze onto cooled shortbread cookies

Notes

  • Refrigerating the dough makes it easier to handle when rolling and cutting the cookies, it also helps to keep the cookies from spreading too much during baking, do not skip this step
  • Cover your lemon shortbread cookie dough with plastic wrap while refrigerating 
  • Be sure to watch shortbread cookies closely while they bake, you’re looking for a nice golden color, if the cookies have turned brown they are over baked
  • If lemon glaze is too thick add more lemon juice, if the glaze is too thin add more confectioners sugar one tablespoon at a time
  • If you’d like your glaze to have more of a lemon flavor, increase the amount of lemon zest in the recipe. 
  • Once cookies are glazed, allow the glaze to set on the cookies before storing them in an airtight container
  • This recipe makes approximately 13 cookies, depending on the size cookie cutter you use, you can get a couple more or fewer.