Lemon Shortbreads
Originally published as Lemon Shortbreads in Simple & Delicious October/November 2011, p63. Every year my mom and I collect cookie recipes we want to try and then get together in early December for an afternoon of baking. These no-fail lemon cookies have become an annual tradition. Theyre a wonderful homemade holiday gift. Kristen Johnson, Greendale, Wisconsin
Originally published as Lemon Shortbreads in Simple & Delicious October/November 2011, p63. Every year my mom and I collect cookie recipes we want to try and then get together in early December for an afternoon of baking. These no-fail lemon cookies have become an annual tradition. Theyre a wonderful homemade holiday gift. Kristen Johnson, Greendale, Wisconsin
- Carbohydrate 15.5509106598368 g
- Cholesterol 10.1677083462889 mg
- Fat 3.89844275307324 g
- Fiber 0.156427981913628 g
- Protein 0.559179539762563 g
- Saturated Fat 2.43969588953037 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (23g)
- Sodium 384.200535430469 mg
- Sugar 15.3944826779231 g
- Trans Fat 0.285162844151289 g
- Calories 98 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Divide dough in half. Shape each into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften.
- Preheat oven to 325degrees. Roll out each portion between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 1-1/2-in. diamond-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
- Bake 6-8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
- Combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and peel; spread over cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugar.
Bakers often ruin shortbread by overworking the gluten, resulting in a tough texture instead of a tender crumb. Achieving a sandy snap requires thorough creaming of softened butter with fine confectioners' sugar. Confectioners' sugar contains a small percentage of cornstarch, which inhibits gluten development and yields a more delicate melt-in-the-mouth consistency than granulated sugar alone. Chilling the dough disks for 30 minutes solidifies the butter fat, preventing the cookies from spreading too rapidly in the oven and maintaining sharp diamond edges at 325 degrees.
Rolling the dough between two sheets of waxed paper eliminates the need for extra flour dusting, which would otherwise dry out the final bake. Bake these pastries for six to eight minutes, watching carefully for pale golden bottoms rather than browned surfaces. Pair the finished citrus biscuits with unsweetened black tea or dark roast coffee to balance the sharp sweetness of the lemon glaze.
Adjust the citrus profile by swapping lemon peel for an equal amount of finely grated lime or grapefruit zest.
