LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Jan 20, 2013

smitten ⋅ holiday, sugars ⋅ cookies, dessert, lemon, Shortbread, valentines ⋅ 9 comments

•No secret that I love lemon, most of my recipes have lemon (or red pepper flakes) snuck in them somehow.  Don’t worry, these buttery cookies don’t have spice, just bright, vibrant lemon zest!  The sugary lemon glaze is like a left hook of extra lemon.  Easy enough to roll into logs and slice or cut out with cookie cutters.  Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I cut heart shaped cookies and decorated them kinda fancy.  You can just glaze the cookies, add sprinkles, or add some food coloring and pipe on designs.  Do whatever you like, being creative is part of the fun.

 

 

 Inspired by The Wicked Noodle

 

 

for the cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter-at room temp

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

zest of 2 lemons-approx 2 tbls

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp kosher salt

3 egg yolks

2 cups all purpose flour

 

for the glaze

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice

 

makes about 2 dozen, depending on how you cut them

prep and baking time-4 hours.  Dough can be flattened or rolled into a log and frozen for 1 month.

350°

 

 

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter

the powdered sugar

and the packed brown sugar.  Cream on med high speed until light and fluffy.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the lemon zest

the kosher salt

and the vanilla.  Mix well.

Scrape down sides of the bowl again and add egg yolks, one at a time, while on med speed until incorporated.

Add the flour

and mix until almost incorporated, scrape sides of bowl and mix again.  Do not over mix, the dough will be soft and a little crumbly.

Dump 1/2 of the dough onto a piece of parchment paper (can spray with cooking spray or dust with flour first).

Place another piece of parchment on top.  Lightly squish down to flatted with your hands and use a rolling pin to flatten to about 1/4 inch.  Place onto a baking sheet and pop into the fridge.  Repeat with the other half of the dough, letting it chill for 2 hours to overnight.  Alternatively, you can roll into a log, wrap in plastic or parchment, and pop into the fridge.  Instead of using cookie cutters, just slice and bake.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Remove chilled dough from fridge and cut into your favorite shapes.  Cookies will spread a little, don’t overcrowd baking pans.  Reroll scraps and cut.  Dough is pretty tender when warm, put scraps in fridge if needed before cutting.

Put cut cookies back into the fridge for 30 min.  Preheat oven to 350°

Bake cookies for 13-15 min, rotating pans halfway through until the bottoms are golden brown.

Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, add powdered sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Start out with just 2 tbls juice and slowly add the last tbls, more or less as needed.

Whisk together until smooth, but still thick and spreadable.  This glaze hardens quite nice, it’s shiny and beautiful and cookies can be stacked between wax or parchment paper without being smushed.

So you have a couple decorating options- no need to be fancy.  Spread the glaze on with a spatula or knife.

Or you can put glaze into a ziptop bag, cut a small tip off and go crazy!

Stripes, dots, squiggles, words, or I kinda liked to spread on a solid layer, let dry and add dots on top.

Let glaze harden completely before you package up or store.  Keep in an airtight container with layers separated with wax or parchment paper for up to a week♥Enjo

 

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