These Lemon Shortbread Cookies are buttery, tangy, tart and sweet lemony cookies that have a typical crumbly shortbread texture. They're rolled in lemon sugar prior to baking and are then topped with a delicious lemon glaze and some more lemon zest! These lemon short bread cookies are super easy to make and only require 30 minutes of chill time! They make the perfect holiday cookies! If that wasn't enough, they're gluten free, nut free, eggless and can easily be vegan!
Wash and dry all 3 lemons. Take a zester and zest all 3 medium lemons. Put the zest in a little bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't get crunchy. Set aside.
Take 2 lemons, cut it in half and juice them. Make sure to remove any seeds if they get in the juice. Set aside. There should be about 6 tablespoons of juice. If there isn't enough, juice the last lemon.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2.5 cups gluten free flour, ½ cup confectioners' sugar and the ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick until it is soft and creamy. Add in ¼ cup confectioners' sugar and beat together until creamy. About 2 minutes.
Slowly beat the 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest into the creamed butter and sugar. It may look separated at first. Mix on low speed until it starts to combine and then increase the speed to whip it into a creamy consistency.
Slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until the dough is dry and crumbly. Once crumbly, increase the speed and beat until the dough comes together. As soon as it comes together, turn the mixer off. If the dough needs help coming together, work it with clean hands.Using clean hands, form the dough into a thick disc, wrap in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
When the dough has 15 minutes left of chilling, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the dough is done chilling, in a small bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Mix until completely combined.
Break off a 1 inch piece of dough. Work it back and forth in your hands until smooth. Then roll into a 1 inch ball. This recipe should make around 40 balls.If you chilled the dough for more than 30 minutes, you may need to let the dough sit out a bit so you can work it in your hands into smooth balls.
Roll each dough ball in the lemon sugar mixture to coat completely.
Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. I bake no more than 20 at a time. Put the rest of the dough back in the fridge and bake the cookies at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Once out of the oven, let the cookies sit for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack with parchment paper or wax paper underneath. (The next part makes a bit of a mess). Let the cookies cool completely before adding the lemon glaze, otherwise it will turn into a liquid mess.
In a small bowl, whisk together the 4 cups of confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice and ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Add in the 3 tablespoons of water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. You may not need all the water.Note: If you want a little yellow color to the glaze, you can add 2 pinches of turmeric.
Dip the top rounded half of each cookie into the lemon glaze. Gently wipe the side of the cookie on the side of the bowl if there is an icing drip. Place the cookies onto the cooling rack.
Top with extra lemon zest and sprinkles while the glaze is wet, if desired. Let the glaze harden prior to storing; about one hour.
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Notes
Vegan: Use a dairy free gluten free flour, vegan sugar, vegan baking sticks and vegan sprinkles.All Purpose Flour: I cannot test this due to celiac disease, but use 2.5 packed cups of regular flour (420 grams). Still chill the dough. Storing: Once the glaze has hardened, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 3 days.If storing in the fridge, make sure to bring the cookies to room temperature prior to eating otherwise they will be rock hard.Freezing: You can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze the dough for up to 30 days. Or you can shape the dough balls without the lemon sugar and freeze them for up to 30 days. Thaw the dough in the fridge the night prior to using and then once again, let come to almost room temperature prior to rolling in the lemon sugar and baking. You can also freeze the finished cookies for up to 30 days. Let come to room temperature on the counter prior to eating.Nutrition: The info below is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.