Lemon Shortbread

5 from 1 vote

Soft, buttery shortbread topped with a bright lemon glaze, this lemon shortbread recipe is worth sinking your teeth into.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Shortbread Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 427kcal

Ingredients

Shortbread

1¼ cups salted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch

Lemon glaze

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed for consistency
fresh lemon zest, optional garnish - see tips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some to overhang the sides to remove the shortbread from the pan easily.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the salted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
Add the lemon and vanilla extracts and mix until fully incorporated. You may need to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.
Add the all-purpose flour and cornstarch to the creamed butter, starting on low speed, and mix until the dough comes together and starts to form a ball in the center of the bowl.
Press the lemon shortbread dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. You can lightly wet your fingertips with cool water to help press the dough without it sticking.
Bake for 35 to 38 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.
Allow the lemon shortbread to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before slicing it into bars. You want your shortbread to be still slightly warm and soft when cutting so that you get nice even cuts.
Allow your lemon shortbread to cool completely before removing it from the pan. You can lift it out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper.
Once your lemon shortbread bars have cooled completely, you can make the lemon glaze by whisking together, in a medium bowl, the powdered sugar, melted butter, milk, and lemon juice until smooth.
Dip the flat tops of each lemon shortbread just until the entire top is covered, and allow any excess glaze to drip back into the bowl. Place the lemon-glazed shortbread onto a rimmed baking sheet (with a cooling rack on top) to allow the glaze to harden.
Once all the glaze has hardened, you can place your lemon shortbread onto a serving platter.

Notes

You can make this dough up to 48 hours in advance and keep the dough ball tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. You will need to allow it to soften before flattening it into the baking pan.
I highly suggest using a straight-sided 9x9 baking pan to keep your shortbread cookie bars equally sized.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your shortbread at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
You can add a little lemon zest over the top of the glazed cookies while the glaze is still wet for a little extra lemon flavor or a pretty garnish. You will want to zest your lemon before squeezing it for the juice for the glaze.

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