Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Sugar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 lemon, zested
Dough Base
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 2 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 34 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 20 mg
- Potassium
- 17 mg
- Calcium
- 4 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 16 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 64 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 3 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and takes on a pale yellow color.
Add the softened unsalted butter to the lemon sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat briefly to incorporate.
Add the all-purpose flour and fine sea salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and a cohesive dough begins to form.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough to rest and chill.
Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to an even thickness of about 6 millimeters.
Cut out cookies using a cookie cutter and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 centimeters of space between each cookie.
Bake in the preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Rubbing the lemon zest directly into the sugar is a technique that mechanically breaks down the zest cells, releasing aromatic oils that would otherwise be trapped.
- For the cleanest cuts, dip your cookie cutter in a little flour before stamping the dough.
- Shortbread relies entirely on butter for its texture and flavor; use the highest quality European-style butter you can find for superior results.
- Safety note: Never consume raw cookie dough due to the risk of pathogens in uncooked flour.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store raw dough well-wrapped in the refrigerator.
Freezer: 3 months — Baked cookies or raw dough can be frozen in an airtight container.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread excessively during baking
Cause: The dough was too warm or the butter was overly softened before baking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but you can use a round cookie cutter to reshape the hot cookies immediately after pulling them from the oven.
Prevention: Ensure the dough is well chilled before it goes into the oven. You can chill the cut cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes prior to baking.
Cookies are tough and chewy instead of crumbly
Cause: The dough was overworked after adding the flour, developing too much gluten.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Mix the flour in only until just combined, and handle the dough gently when rolling.
Cultural Context
Shortbread is a traditional biscuit originating in Scotland during the 12th century, historically reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Hogmanay. While classic shortbread contains only butter, sugar, and oat or wheat flour, the infusion of bright lemon zest offers a modern, refreshing dimension to this beloved historical confection.
