Lemon Shortbread Cookies With Lemon Glaze
These small batch lemon shortbread cookies take 15 minutes to prepare and are made simply with powdered sugar, butter, flour, and a whole lemon's worth of zest. The bright citrus cookies are finished with a lemon glaze or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
Servings: 12 Cookies
Calories: 75kcal
Ingredients
Lemon Shortbread
- ¼ cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- zest of a medium lemon reserve 1/4 teaspoon for glaze
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
Lemon Shortbread
- Use a stand mixer with a small mixing bowl (linked above) or a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer.
- Zest the entire lemon, then juice it. I use a regular medium-sized lemon. Reserve 1/4 teaspoon of the zest for the glaze.
- Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest to the mixing bowl. Massage the zest into the sugar to infuse it with the oils and flavor of the lemon. Add the butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Tip - Perfuming the sugar with the zest is optional, but recommended for strong flavor.1/4 cup powdered sugar, zest of a medium lemon, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt over the top of the wet ingredients. Add the lemon juice and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the dough is well combined and smooth.3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a rough log. Wrap it up loosely in the plastic. With your hands, roll and shape the dough into a 4 to 4.5-inch log. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap closed and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled dough into 12, 1/4-inch cookies. I don't recommend slicing thinner than 1/4-inch. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Since these are shortbread cookies, they will not spread much.
- If the cookies aren't perfectly round, you can gently shape them between your hands (like you're turning a wheel). If the dough has gotten too warm while slicing, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to chill the dough.
- Bake the cookies for 11 minutes. The bottom edges will look slightly golden. Transfer the baked cookies immediately to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, or glaze with the recipe below.
To keep the roll shape, place the dough log in a glass so it stands upright.
Lemon Glaze
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, the reserved lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add more lemon juice - a splash at a time - to reach your desired consistency. Use a spoon to swirl the glaze on top of the cookies. Note - The glaze is pretty zingy with the lemon juice. You can swap in water or milk.1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 pinch salt
- Store the cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Serving Size - This is a small batch recipe that is easily doubled. As written, the recipe yields 12 cookies. This can increase or decrease depending on how large you roll and slice the dough.
- Lemon - I like a lot of zest. If the whole lemon seems like a lot, use as much or little as you like.
- You can roll out the dough - Instead of slice and bake, shape the dough into a disc to chill, then roll a 1/4-inch thick. Cut out with cookie or biscuit cutters.
- Use different citrus - Swap the fresh lemon with fresh orange or lime.
- Freezing - Baked glazed and/or sugar-dusted cookies can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.3mg