Lemon Shortbread Cookies

5 from 1 vote

These zesty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread cookies are made in 30 minutes with just 6 ingredients. Lemon lovers will love the sweet-tangy burst of lemon glaze on these cookies. And they make a perfect gift.

Prep Time8

Cook Time16

Total Time30

Course: Dessert, Treat

Cuisine: American

Servings (change as needed): -30 cookies

Author: Cheryl Avrich

US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

1 cup room temperature salted butter (2 sticks) If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar/ powdered sugar)
1/2 cup corn starch (or arrowroot powder or potato starch)
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, Note 2
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest, Note 2

Simple Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup icing sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup (OPTIONAL) makes glaze glossy

US Measures - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/176.7C. Line a large cookie sheet or baking sheets (17" x 12") with parchment paper. Or use two baking sheets.
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH: In a food processor, process butter and icing sugar until creamy smooth, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, cornstarch, lemon zest and flour. Pulse with quick on/off turns just until dough starts to get a crumbly texture and ingredients are combined. Empty onto a cutting board or parchment paper and gently shape shortbread dough together into one big blob. If you don't have a food processor, use an electric mixer on low speed or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
1 cup room temperature salted butter (2 sticks) , 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1/2 cup corn starch, 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, Note 2, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, Note 2
FORM COOKIES: Using clean hands, break off a small piece of dough, roll into a 1 1/2 inch/3.8 cm ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is gone. I make 24-30 balls (24 will fit in one large pan). With tines of a fork, flatten balls to just over 1/4 inch/6.3mm and make a criss-cross pattern. (Tip: dip fork into flour if dough is sticky).
BAKE AND COOL: Bake cookies in middle rack in preheated oven for 16 minutes or until edges are starting to turn golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.
MAKE GLAZE: While cookies are baking, mix glaze ingredients together with whisk or fork. When cookies are cooled (if you can wait!), brush glaze on each cookie with a pastry brush. Do this over parchment paper to catch the drips. Sprinkle on extra lemon zest if you like. Glaze will harden in about 30 minutes.

Notes

Variations and Substitutions
- Use lime instead of lemon
- Add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup in glaze to add more depth
- Add a pinch of herbs or spices to the dough such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, ginger, or cardamom.
- Add extra lemon zest if you want even more zesty-ness.
- Flour options:
  - Gluten-free option: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
  - For added nutrition: replace up to 1/2 cup/62 grams of the flour with whole wheat flour, almond flour, or oat flour. Note that this might affect the texture and crumb a little.
Tips
- Use room temperature butter (not too soft)
- Measure flour by scooping it into a measuring cup and leveling it off (or even better, weigh it)
- Don't overmix the dough.
- Try not to zest the white pith underneath the yellow skin of the lemon as it can be bitter.
Shortcuts
- Skip the glaze and keep the lemon cookies plain or just dust them with icing sugar. If you do this, I would add another teaspoon of zest in the cookie dough.
- If you hate zesting lemons, use a pre-made lemon zest (dried or frozen). Since you are adding it to the dough and glaze in this recipe, it will work fine (not as good as fresh zest though!)
Make ahead options
- Store: Completely cool cookies. Store them in a freezer bags or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies: for up to 3 months. Some people crisp them up in a 300F/149C oven for 4 minutes - if you do, add the glaze after you re-bake/crisp them, not before.
- Freeze unbaked cookies: Roll dough into balls and flatten with tines of a fork as per recipe. Place on cookie sheet and flash freeze them for 30-60 minutes. Then pile them into a ziploc bag. Bake as usual from frozen - maybe add a minute or two.

Nutrition Values are for one (of 24 cookies) and include the optional corn syrup in the glaze.