When making shortbread, what must you not do?

Avoid overmixing the dough. Too much mixing activates the gluten, leading to tough, chewy cookies instead of the desired tender texture. Also, don’t skip chilling the dough—it helps cookies keep their shape.

Why do you poke holes in shortbread cookies?

Poking holes allows steam to escape during baking. This keeps the surface flat, prevents bubbling, and helps the cookies bake evenly without puffing.

Are shortcake biscuits the same as shortbread?

No. Shortcake biscuits are soft, fluffy, and rise with leavening agents. Shortbread cookies are dense, crumbly, and made without baking powder or baking soda.

What is the key to good shortbread?

Use quality butter, don’t overmix, and chill the dough before baking. These steps ensure rich flavor, delicate texture, and well-formed cookies.

Should butter be warm or cold for shortbread?

Use room-temperature butter—soft, but not melted. Cold butter won’t cream well, while melted butter can ruin the dough’s consistency.

Do you use salted or unsalted butter for shortbread?

Unsalted butter is best. It lets you control the salt level and keeps the lemon flavor clean and balanced.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies – The Best Zesty Butter Cookie Recipe

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Print Recipe

These lemon shortbread cookies are buttery, crisp, and bursting with bright citrus flavor. Simple to make and perfect for gifting or snacking.

Author: Chef Rina
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Chilling: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 40 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

4 oz granulated sugar
3 tsp lemon zest
8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
½ tsp kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp lemon juice
12 oz unbleached all-purpose flour

Lemon Glaze (Optional):

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
4–5 tsp fresh lemon juice

Fresh, sunlit setup for making lemon curd tart from scratch.

Instructions

Zest lemon over sugar and rub to infuse.
Beat butter and salt into lemon sugar until smooth.
Add yolk and juice, mix just to combine.
Add flour and mix on low; increase speed briefly until dough clumps.
Roll the dough out to a ¼-inch thickness, then use a 2-inch round cutter to shape the cookies. Prick each with a fork.
Chill 20 mins.
Bake at 300°F for 20–22 mins. Cool completely.
Optional: Glaze and allow to dry.

Notes

Use a kitchen scale for best results. If measuring by volume, spoon flour into the cup and level with a knife—don’t tap.

Flour: 2¾ cups (125g per cup)
Butter: 1 cup (16 tbsp)
Sugar: ½ cup + 1 tbsp

Kosher salt is optional but adds a nice balance. Use high-quality unsalted butter like Tillamook, Kerrygold, or Challenge for the best flavor.

To freeze unbaked cookies, cut and freeze on a tray until firm, then transfer to a sealed container. Bake straight from frozen—add 2–5 mins.
For baked cookies, cool completely before freezing. Layer with parchment and thaw at room temp before serving.

Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on ingredients used, portion sizes, and preparation methods

Nutrition

Serving Size: 40 cookies
Calories: 84kcal
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 30mg
Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0.2g
Carbohydrates: 9g
Fiber: 0.2g
Protein: 1g
Cholesterol: 17mg

Keywords: lemon shortbread cookies, granulated sugar, lemon zest, unsalted butter, kosher salt, egg yolk, lemon juice, all-purpose flour

Find it online: https://www.joyliciousrecipes.com/lemon-shortbread-cookies/