Iced Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Servings: cookies

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These delightful lemon shortbread cookies have the perfect balance of buttery richness and bright citrus zing. Using fresh lemon zest and a simple two-ingredient glaze, they are a foolproof treat for tea parties, spring holidays, or any sunny afternoon.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Baking Sheet
Hand Mixer
Fine-Mesh Sieve

Ingredients

For the Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
⅔ cup powdered sugar sifted*
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
1½ tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon water
Lemon zest optional, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until combined.
1 cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Add the flour and salt and mix by hand until the dough starts to clump. Gently press the dough into a ball.
2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and gently pat into a circle or rectangle.
Bake for 22-25 minutes until just turning light golden at the edges.
As soon as the shortbread is out of the oven, cut into 16 rectangle fingers with a sharp knife, and prick each finger with a fork.
Leave for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the shortbread cools, make the icing. Sift the powdered sugar and mix with the lemon juice and water.
1 cup powdered sugar, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water
Spoon ½ teaspoon of icing to the end of each cooled shortbread finger.
Sprinkle over lemon zest, if using.
Lemon zest

Notes

*You can use ½ cup of granulated sugar for every ⅔ cup of powdered sugar. Your cookies will be snappier in texture and may require an extra minute or two of creaming with the butter to ensure the sugar dissolves.

Tips:

Make sure your butter is room temperature so it's easy to cream.
If your kitchen is warm, when you pat the dough into a rectangle on the baking sheet, you can pop the whole sheet in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before it goes into the oven to prevent spreading.
Careful not to bake the cookies for too long! As soon as the edges are a gorgeous golden brown color, you should be good to go.
This is a short and tender shortbread. Cut the shortbread as soon as it comes out of the oven. If left to cool slightly, it will crumble when cut or pricked with a fork.
Use a bench scraper or a very thin, non-serrated knife to cut the shortbread, and wipe the blade between every cut.
For the glaze, mix the lemon juice into the sugar first, then add the water drop by drop. You want a consistency like thick glue. If it’s too thin, it will just soak into the cookie rather than sitting beautifully on top.
Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.

Make-Ahead: You can press the dough onto the baking sheet, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before baking; this actually improves the flavor and texture as the flour fully hydrates and the lemon oils meld with the sugar.

Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer (un-iced) for up to 1 month.

Nutrition