Every bite of these easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies is sweet lemony bliss! And, they couldn’t be easier to make thanks to my genius cookie hack and a secret ingredient. Perfect with a cup of coffee or milk, these buttery, tender, classic lemon shortbread bars will quickly become a family favorite.
Did you know modern shortbread cookies are a descendant of traditional Scottish biscuits? Traditional Scottish biscuits (cookies) only had three ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar.
The secret ingredient in my lemon shortbread cookies is lemon paste, which gives this decadent buttery cookie a decidedly sweet, bright, citrusy burst of flavor. A friend gave me a bottle of this delightful lemony essence for my birthday, and I have been adding it to everything ever since then.
What is lemon paste?
Lemon paste is a combination of lemon extract and lemon oil. It gives a deep rich lemon flavor to everything from cookies and cakes to sauces and marinades. You can purchase lemon paste where lemon extract is sold, or you can make your own by puréeing preserved lemons in your food processor and adding a tiny bit of olive oil.
Genus cookie hack:
You are going to love this cookie hack! I borrowed it from my sister over at the Pudge Factor Blog, who uses it to make crackers, and it also worked for this recipe!
In this hack, you place the cookie dough in a gallon-size plastic storage bag and then roll it out in the bag. You end up with a completely square, perfectly even piece of dough, without the mess of having flour and cookie dough all over your countertop. Easy peasy!
I first used this hack to make Easy Homemade Baked Cheez-it Crackers, and it works like a charm. For these lemon shortbread cookies or biscuits, I like to cut them out in a rectangle shape using a fluted pastry cutter and a ruler. Using this method, there is not one single drop of extra dough or waste.
Of course, you can also use a round biscuit cutter or any number of cute cookie cutters too! And, any cookie scraps can be cooked right alongside the cookies for the cook to conduct any number of taste tests.
Another lemon shortbread cookie bonus!
Another reason to make these cookies ASAP: not only are these lemon shortbread cookies delicious, but you can also make them ahead. They are the best!
For example, you could prepare the dough now, and refrigerate it for a day or so until you are ready to bake them. Or, even more exciting, you can freeze the dough for several months. Then all you have to do is pull the frozen dough out whenever you need it and pop the cookies in the oven.
These homemade cookies also can be frozen after baking and make a perfect holiday gift for your foodie friends.
To add a lemon glaze or not?
We are a house divided. I like the simplicity of these delicious lemon shortbread cookies and enjoy them plain. My husband, on the other hand, loves his cookies topped with a light lemon glaze. Either way, they are addictive, and you can always add glaze to half and leave the other half plain. It’s up to you! And, of course, I include a recipe for a quick lemon glaze just in case.
More cookie recipes:
If you like cookies as much as we do you might also like this unusual cookie recipe: Cornmeal Cookies with Tomato Jam. I also have these simple cookie recipes on my blog that I know you will love: Old-Fashioned Crunchy Gingersnap Cookies, Easy Butter Pecan Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies, aka Forgotten Kisses.
How to make Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until they are well combined.
Add the lemon paste and mix well.
Sift the flour and salt together and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low until everything is well combined and the dough starts coming together in a ball.
Pat the dough into a flat disk and sprinkle just a little flour on the top and bottom.
Place the dough disk in a gallon-size plastic storage bag and leave the top open.
Use a rolling pin and gently roll out the dough until it fills the bag and is an even thickness. If any dough oozes out the top of the bag, cut it off and place back in the bag and roll it in.
Place the bag of dough on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours or up to 36 hours.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator.
Use scissors and carefully cut the bag down the middle and up the sides. Turn the dough out on a Silpat mat or sprinkle a small amount of flour on your countertop to keep it from sticking and put it on the counter.
I used a ruler as a guide and cut my dough lengthwise into one-inch long strips using a fluted pastry cutter. Then I cut it horizontally into 2-1/2 inch bars. Use a fork and pierce each cookie a few times.
Place the cookies on a Silpat baking mat on a baking sheet or an ungreased baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart; bake for 15-20 minutes.
Watch the cookies carefully and do not let them brown. They should just be starting to turn a light brown on the edges but still be pale in the center.
How to make the optional Lemon Glaze:
Add sifted confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and optional lemon zest to a small bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add additional sugar. If it’s too thick, add a few drops more of lemon juice.
Use a small spoon and drizzle over the cookies.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
You can substitute lemon extract for the lemon paste in this recipe. If you want to add even more lemony flavor add one tablespoon of lemon zest to the dough.
You can purchase lemon paste where lemon extract is sold, order it online, or you can make your own by puréeing preserved lemons in your food processor and adding a tiny bit of olive oil.
Both the baked lemon shortbread cookies and the dough freeze well. Be sure to use an airtight container. If you are freezing the baked cookies, place a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between the layers.
Lemon shortbread cookies are very versatile. You can cut them out with a pizza cutter, pastry cutter, cookie-cutter, or biscuit cutter. Or, you can shape them into a log, chill, and slice and bake.
I used a Ziploc flat plastic gallon storage bag to hold and roll out the dough. I have seen some storage bags which have an accordion pleat at the bottom and these bags won’t work.
The lemon glaze is optional. Lemon shortbread cookies are delicious with or without the glaze. If you are storing glazed cookies, be sure to let the glaze dry completely, so they don’t stick together.
Lemon shortbread cookies are sturdy and travel well. This makes them perfect for including in a care package for a college student or sick friend.
Shortbread cookies, like sugar cookies, are also perfect for decorating with royal icing for holidays like Christmas or Easter.
★ If you make Lemon Shortbread Cookies, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it! Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients:
- 3 sticks unsalted butter 12 ounces, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon paste
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Optional Lemon Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest optional
Instructions
Lemon Shortbread Cookies Directions:
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until they are well combined.
- Add the lemon paste and mix well.
- Sift the flour and salt together and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low until everything is well combined and the dough starts coming together in a ball.
- Pat the dough into a flat disk and sprinkle just a little flour on the top and bottom.
- Place the dough disk in a gallon-size plastic storage bag and leave the top open.
- Use a rolling pin and gently roll out the dough until it completely fills the bag and is an even thickness. If any dough oozes out the top of the bag, cut it off and place back in the bag and roll it in.
- Place the bag of dough on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours or up to 36 hours.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator.
- Use scissors and carefully cut the bag down the middle and up the sides. Turn the dough out on a Silpat mat or sprinkle a small amount of flour on your countertop to keep it from sticking and put it on the counter.
- I used a ruler as a guide and cut my dough lengthwise into one-inch long strips using a fluted pastry cutter. Then I cut it horizontally into 2-1/2-inch bars. Use a fork and pierce each cookie a few times.
- Place the cookies on a Silpat baking mat on a baking sheet or an ungreased baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart; bake for 15-20 minutes. Watch the cookies carefully and do not let them brown. They should just be starting to turn a light golden brown on the edges but still be pale in the center.
Optional Lemon Glaze Directions:
- Add sifted confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and optional lemon zest to a small bowl and mix with a spoon until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add additional sugar. If it's too thick, add a few drops more of lemon juice.
- Use a small spoon and drizzle the glaze over the cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
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