An easy, slice-and-bake recipe for buttery lemon shortbread cookies with tart lemon icing. These melt in your mouth lemon cookies will be a new favorite of yours!
Looking for more lemon recipes? You might also like these fluffy lemon cupcakes, lemon poppy seed rolls, and a classic lemon tart.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Buttery, Sweet and Tart. These iced lemon shortbread cookies have so many good things going on, with the buttery texture of the cookies, and the tart lemon icing that’s just sweet enough.
Easy to Make. There’s no need to roll out and cut cookie dough, since these slice and bake lemon cookies are easy to shape into a log, chill, and then slice into cookies when you’re ready to bake them.
Bursting with Lemon Flavor. With lemon juice, fresh lemon zest and lemon extract, these really are the most lemony of lemon sugar cookies.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cookies
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure and strength.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the cookies, while the fine texture gives them a soft, melt in your mouth texture.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Butter. Adds moisture, rich buttery flavor, and a crisp but tender texture.
- Lemon Paste. For an extra punch of lemon flavor.
- Lemon Zest. There’s nothing like the flavor of fresh lemon zest in lemony baked goods.
- Milk. Moistens the dough to bind it together.
Icing
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the icing.
- Lemon Juice. Thins the icing and adds a tart, lemon flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Zest and Sparkling Sugar. For garnish.
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt until combined. With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly. Add the lemon paste/extract, lemon zest and the milk, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray bits of flour. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
- Shape the dough into a log, measuring approximately 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log of dough in wax paper, and twist the ends of the paper, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight, until firm enough to be sliced into cookies.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment baking paper.
- Unwrap the log of chilled dough, and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut slices about 1/4 inch thick. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. The tops should be a very pale golden with no dark browning, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Icing the Cookies
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and drizzly.
- Place the cooling rack over your baking sheet to catch the icing drips, and use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cookies.
- Wait a few minutes for the icing to set, then sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar and fresh lemon zest. The icing will dry to the touch within an hour, but it does stay soft underneath, so if you stack the cookies, the icing will get smushed and won’t look as pretty.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I roll out and cut these cookies instead?
Yes, you can roll and cut them into any shape you like. See my classic vanilla bean shortbread cookies post for tips.
How should I store the baked cookies?
Store these lemon shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze the cookies for up to 3-6 months.
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Favorite Products
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Iced Lemon Shortbread Cookies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Food Processor or Pastry Cutter
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ⅔ cup cold unsalted butter (about 10 1/2 tablespoons) cut into 10 pieces
- 1 tsp lemon paste (or lemon extract)
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 2 ½ tbsp whole milk
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 ½ – 4 tbsp lemon juice
- fresh lemon zest and coarse sparkling sugar, for garnish
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar and salt until combined.With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly.Add the lemon paste/extract, lemon zest and the milk, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
- Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray bits of flour. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
- Shape the dough into a log, measuring approximately 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the log of dough in wax paper, and twist the ends of the paper, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight, until firm enough to be sliced into cookies.
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment baking paper.
- Unwrap the log of chilled dough, and use a sharp chef's knife to cut slices about 1/4 inch thick. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. The tops should be a very pale golden with no dark browning, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Icing the Cookies
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and drizzly.
- Place the cooling rack over your baking sheet to catch the icing drips, and use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cookies.
- Wait a few minutes for the icing to set, then sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar and fresh lemon zest. The icing will dry to the touch within an hour, but it does stay soft underneath, so if you stack the cookies, the icing will get smushed and won't look as pretty.
Notes
- Making the Dough without a Food Processor: If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need a large bowl and a pastry cutter. In the bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Scatter with the cold butter pieces and use the pastry cutter to cut the butter in until very finely cut and evenly distributed. Drizzle with the vanilla and milk, then use your hands to work the liquid into the dry ingredients until it forms into a soft dough.
- Storing the Baked Cookies: The baked cookies should be cooled completely then stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you won’t be frosting and decorating them immediately, freeze the cookies in an airtight container for 3-6 months.
I added KA powdered lemon and lemon oil…they are super tart and delicious. However, they were square..ish. I have never been able
to make a round site and bake cookie…in 50 years of baking. But
they were a great success at a party…people love lemon!!