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Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies – Deliciously buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies that are packed full of lemon flavour, and topped with a sweet, tangy lemon icing!

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from my Scottish Shortbread recipe, these lemon cookies are a must-try this Spring.

They’re buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth, and bursting with lemon flavour. Topped with a sweet and tangy lemon icing, these cookies are absolutely irresistible!

Looking for more lemon recipes? Check out my Homemade Lemon Curd, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, and my Easy Lemon Tart.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these cookies. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.

  • Plain/all-purpose flour
  • Cornflour/cornstarch: Makes for extra tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
  • Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature.
  • Caster/superfine sugar
  • Salt
  • Fresh lemon juice: You’ll need 2 tablespoons – about 1 lemon.
  • Lemon zest: You’ll need 1 tablespoon – about 1 lemon.

For the Icing

  • Icing/powdered sugar
  • Fresh lemon juice

How to make Lemon Shortbread Cookies

To make these cookies, simply grab a medium mixing bowl and whisk together the flour and cornflour. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and zest until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Bring together into a dough with your hands, and place onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead until soft, then roll out to a thickness of 1cm.

Using a cookie cutter, cut shapes out and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch and lightly golden around the edges (but still very pale).

Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the icing, grab a small mixing bowl and mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and combined.

If needed, add more lemon juice to reach desired consistency.

Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl.

Sprinkle on some lemon zest if desired, and allow the icing to set.

The printable recipe card with the FULL list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.

Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

These Lemon Shortbread Cookies are:

  • super quick and easy to make
  • incredibly buttery and melt-in-your-mouth
  • loaded with lemon flavour
  • topped with a sweet, tangy lemon icing

How long will these shortbread cookies last? These cookies will stay fresh, kept in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 1 week.

The cookie dough can also be wrapped in clingfilm and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog. I’d love to see!

Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Try these cookies!

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Yield: 22 - 24 cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Deliciously buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies that are packed full of lemon flavour, and topped with a sweet, tangy lemon icing!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 2 cups (250g) plain/all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (65g) cornflour/cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150g) caster/superfine sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

For the Icing

  • 1 cup (125g) icing/powdered sugar
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

For the Cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and cornflour. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and zest until combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  5. Bring together into a dough with your hands, and place onto a lightly floured surface.
  6. TIP: If the dough is too crumbly to bring together with your hands, add milk (about 1 tablespoon) to make it more manageable.
  7. Knead until soft, then roll out to a thickness of 1cm. Don't worry if the edges crack, just form them back together with your fingers.
  8. Using a cookie cutter, cut shapes out and place them onto the prepared baking tray.
  9. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch and lightly golden around the edges (but still very pale).
  10. Allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Icing

  1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and combined. If needed, add more lemon juice to reach desired consistency.
  2. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, letting the excess drip back into the bowl.
  3. Sprinkle on some lemon zest if desired, and allow the icing to set.

Notes

Shortbread stays fresh, kept in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Cookie dough can be wrapped in clingfilm and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24 cookies

Serving Size:

1 cookie

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 143Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is an estimate only. For the best accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used for the recipe.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @simplybake_blog on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog

Gina

Thursday 4th of May 2023

I can't tell you how fast we at these cookies up! They came out great and really enjoyed the lemon flavor!

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