Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are my favorite thing in the whole wild world.

Okay, maybe not in the whole world. But there are very few things that I enjoy more than these thick buttery cookies. I discovered them when I went to Scotland with my family a few years back. In hotel rooms, along with the kettle and tea cups, there often was a small packet of shortbread cookies. Believe me, I would dive for it as soon we’d enter the room. Since then, it’s been on my mind pretty much every day. They’re the one thing that’s always on my Christmas wish list, especially the ones imported straight from Scotland.

Recently, I learned how to make shortbread cookies and that’s been a game changer for me. Despite my dad’s warning that they’re not too healthy, I often can’t resist the urge to bake a batch. They’re so easy to make, and just as easy to devour!

I like playing around in the kitchen and that’s how I came up with this lemon shortbread cookie recipe. The zesty flavor marries well with the buttery taste of the cookies, and it gives a summery spin to these otherwise heavy cookies. You can make them in whichever form or size you want, although a medium-sized square cookie is more traditional. These are perfect to enjoy with ice cream by the pool or as a treat with iced tea at the end of the day.

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Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Zesty and buttery cookies that are the perfect indulgence to go with your afternoon tea.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups flour
  
• Rind of 2 lemons
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
  

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour with the lemon rind. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar. Whisk in the lemon juice.
4. Add the flour and blend well.
5. Knead the dough into a ball and place on a floured surface.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s about ½-inch thick.
7. With the cookies cutters of your choice, cut out cookies and transfer them onto the prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes. The cookies are ready when they turn slightly golden around the edges.
   
9. Enjoy on a warm summer night with a mason jar filled with your favorite iced tea.
   

*Makes about 25 medium-sized cookies.

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Extra tips:

• If you’re having any trouble kneading the dough into a ball, add a little more flour, 1 tsp at a time, and knead until the dough holds its shape better. However, be careful not to add too much flour or the cookies will be extremely dense.
• Shortbread cookies don’t spread while they’re baking, so you don’t need to place them too far apart on the baking sheet. Where you place them is exactly where they’ll be when they come out of the oven.
• Be careful not to overbake the cookies, or they’ll be super dry. Since shortbread cookies are by nature pretty dense and dry, it doesn’t take much to spoil them. Be mindful of the amount of flour you use while rolling the dough and of the time they spend in the oven. An underbaked shortbread cookie is always better than an overbaked one.
  

I hope this recipe will make you love shortbread cookies as much as I do. If you end up making this recipe, use the hashtag #TeaAndMascaraBaking so I can see your recreations!

Until next time.

Much love,