These lemon shortbread cookies with lemon glaze are full of vibrant citrus flavor. They have lemon zest, lemon oil and fresh lemon juice. This is the best lemon shortbread recipe - buttery, delicate and melt in your mouth delicious! The dough is easy to handle and doesn't spread when baked so it's perfect for shortbread cut out cookies.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 2) with rack in center of oven.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter. Cream for 30 seconds at medium speed. Add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon oil and lemon zest. Mix on low until ingredients are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, 60 grams (½ cup) powdered sugar, sifted, 2 grams (½ teaspoon) kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal), ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon oil, zest of ½ large lemon
Add corn starch and mix on low. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add flour. Mix on medium-low until dough just pulls together.
20 grams (2 Tablespoons) corn starch, 135 grams (1 cup + 2 Tablespoons) all purpose flour
Gather dough into a ball and turn out onto a rectangle of parchment paper. Place an additional piece of parchment paper on top, and roll the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch (0.63 cm). Note: this is about the thickness of a standard pencil. If you don't have rolling pin rings, place pencils on each side of the dough and roll your rolling pin along them as a guide for uniform thickness.
Cut out dough using desired cookie cutter(s). Place cookies 1 inch apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Roll scraps and cut out additional cookies as needed to make use of all dough. Chill cutouts in freezer for 10 minutes (or refrigerator for 30 minutes) prior to baking.
Bake each sheet for 22-24 minutes, until cookies are set and just slightly golden on the foot. They should be pale. Cookies will continue to harden as they cool. Cool fully on cookie sheet prior to glazing.
Lemon Glaze
Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice to a small bowl. Whisk slowly to fully blend the ingredients while trying not to incorporate air bubbles. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze, letting the extra glaze drip back into the bowl.
Place glazed cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet to set. Sprinkle lemon zest on top of wet glaze. Once glaze is firm, cookies can be stacked for storage.
zest of ½ large lemon
Notes
¼ inch (0.63 cm) thick dough: You'll roll this dough to ¼ inch thick. This is about the thickness of a standard pencil. If you don't have rolling pin rings, place pencils on each side of the dough in between the parchment layers. Roll your rolling pin along the pencils as a guide for uniform thickness. Chill your cookie cutouts for the recommended time (or longer) before baking to avoid spread.