We have been experimenting with our favorite Scotch Shortbread Cutout Cookies by adding different flavors. This light, lemony version was a winner and as we celebrate spring and head into the summer, it seemed the perfect time to share the recipe. Buttery shortbread with a lightly sweet and pleasant lemon tang, the flavor is everything we love about the sunny citrus.
Infusing lemony flavor
Producing a satisfyingly lemony shortbread cookie was surprisingly easy.
- The first step was to take a good amount of finely grated lemon zest and, using our fingers, incorporate it into the sugar, making sure the sugar granules were coated in lemon oil from the zest.
- Second, to the dough we added freshly squeezed lemon juice, not enough to change the consistency of the dough but enough to reinforce the flavor from the zest.
- And finally, using more freshly squeezed lemon juice, created a lemon glaze to drizzle over the top of the cookies.
Based on a go-to recipe
Everything we love about the Scotch Shortbread Cutout Cookies holds true for these cookies – the ingredient list is short and simple, the dough is easy to work with and requires no refrigeration. The extra step of combining the lemon zest and sugar, barely adds any additional time but adds so much flavor.
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
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Lemon Shortbread Cutout Cookies
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 48 1x
Description
These lightly scented lemon shortbread cookies are buttery and delicious. A drizzle of sweet lemon glaze is the perfect finish.
Ingredients
½ cup sugar plus more for sprinkling
3 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
4 cups all-purpose flour
Lemon Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350° F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, use your fingers to rub together the lemon zest and sugar to infuse the lemon flavor into the sugar.
Cream together the butter and lemon sugar. Mix in the lemon juice. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined. If dough is crumbly, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of softened butter.
Roll dough to a thickness of ½ to ⅓ inch on lightly floured board. Cut into small shapes and place ½ inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I line the pans with parchment paper). Sprinkle each cookie lightly with sugar.
Bake until set, about 20 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool on racks.
For the glaze
Starting with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, mix together with the powdered sugar. If you want a spreadable glaze, keep it a thicker consistency. Add a little more lemon juice to thin the glaze if you prefer to drizzle (don’t make it too thin or it will slide off the cookies). Allow to set before storing in an air tight container.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 107
- Sugar: 5 g.
- Sodium: 37 mg.
- Fat: 6 g.
- Saturated Fat: 4 g.
- Carbohydrates: 13 g.
- Fiber: 0 g.
- Protein: 1 g.
- Cholesterol: 15 mg.
Keywords: lemon, flour, butter
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