Lemon Shortbread Cookies – Classic shortbread with a lemony twist. Using only 4 ingredients and festive decorations, fill your house with the wonderful aroma of Christmas just in time for the holidays.
I hope you guys are baking along with me because I’ve been having loads of fun. If you enjoy baking as much as I do, let’s get it done! Today, I have for you the easiest shortbread cookie ever, and this is actually the same as my classic shortbread cookie recipe but loaded with lemon zest and lemon juice.
What Ingredients Are in Lemon Shortbread Cookies
I love these cookies because they only require 3 ingredients, flour, butter and powdered sugar, then add whatever flavorings you like, in this case lemon. If you wanted a chocolate shortbread cookies, just add some cocoa powder.
Normally I just cut these cookies using a knife, but being Christmas and all, I wanted to use all my fancy cookie cutters and cut out some cute shapes. You could also just pat the dough in an ungreased cookie sheet, bake them and then cut them, whatever works for you.
How to Bake Shortbread Cookies
These cookies bake quickly, all they need are around 12 minutes in the oven and they are done. You should have enough dough to make about 3 dozen cookies but it really all depends on how big you cut them.
Can You Freeze Shortbread Cookies
Yes, absolutely! These cookies freeze incredibly well. To freeze, place shortbread cookies in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Because it’s Christmas we decided to go nuts and have some fun decorating these cookies, but you don’t have to. We decorated them with melted chocolate, white, green, red, and salted caramel, hey don’t judge.
Normally I would just ice them with some lemon icing and make them all fancy and stuff, but this was about having fun. Of course, you don’t have to decorate them at all, simply enjoy them as they are because they do have a wonderful lemon flavor.
Craving More Cookies? Try These:
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter salted, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. If cutting out cookies with cookie cutters, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the butter to the bowl of your mixer and blend until smooth on medium speed. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixer bowl and continue mixing on low until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour and mix until well blended.
- Pat dough into ungreased cookie sheet. Alternatively you can roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch in thickness and cut them to your desired shape. I placed parchment paper on my cookie sheet but its not necessary.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until just done (slightly golden in color). Do not let it get brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate the cookies with icing and sprinkles or dip them in melted chocolate.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information:
Do you have to wait for the cookies to cool completely before cutting if baking the dough in a pan?
Just for about 5 minutes or so.
Do you use a fork in the dough for decoration or is there a reason to do this (saw it on your video).If i want to make your recipe in a pan, did you use an 8″ X 8″ pan? Your lemon glaze recipe sounds great, does it dry quickly? Would sprinkling powdered sugar be good as another topping instead of glaze?
Thanks for sharing your recipe.!
It’s just for decoration. Yes, that was an 8×8 pan but that was just half the dough since the other half was used to roll out cookies. Lemon glaze does dry quite quickly. You can sprinkle powdered sugar, or you can dip them in chocolate, nutella, etc.