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Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Read Reviews (25)

"Rich, lemon flavored cookies." — Carol

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Original recipe makes 20 cookies Change Servings

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened

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Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, beat butter or margarine and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla.
Add flour and salt to butter/sugar mixture and blend well. With a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 2 inch round cutter and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Reroll scraps.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until cookies are pale golden, not brown. Let stand 2 minutes. Remove to a rack and let cool completely.

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These cookies turned out lovely! I doubled the recipe and used shaped cookie cutters to cut them out. I also made lemon icing for them with water, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Yum! For me, the baking time was less than what the recipe suggested... about 15 minutes.

—ECTEWELL

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jun 16, 2006

Sorry to say my notes on this recipe is - "a mess and a total waste of ingredients." It's extremely rare that I get bad results from recipes on this site - but this one was memorably BAD.

—Nydiva

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29 Ratings

Dec 05, 2003

YUCK. I followed the directions exactly, with extremely poor results. Yield was way off -- I only got 12 small cookies instead of 20 2-inch ones. Baking time was off too, and they probably should have baked at 325 instead of 375...I checked them after 14 min. and the bottoms were burnt (recipe recommended 20 to 25 min.) After scraping off the burnt bottoms, the texture and taste were still nasty -- way too floury and bready.

—Amanda Robinson

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Aug 29, 2002

These are absolutely delicious and easy to make. I put part of the dough into a decorating bag, and using a large cake decorator tip, made lemon shortbread straws and decorative small cookies also. From my families response, I will be making these often.

—EMORSE4

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Mar 02, 2009

USED HEALTHIER OPTIONS: This recipe still turned out amazing! I used lemon juice instead of lemon extract, lite brown sugar, and whole wheat flour for a healthier cookie and they still recieved rave reviews from the toughest critics: my 8 and 6 yr old!

—Coolcam

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Apr 26, 2010

I loved these! Super refreshing and light. I used fresh lemon juice instead of extract and thought it gave it a nice tart flavor. I cut mine into fingers instead of using cutters. I did find the dough pretty sticky, but flour cured it right up.

—Jessica

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Feb 09, 2010

These are delicious! I did use real lemon juice vs. extract. They are buttery, rich and with the lemon juice & zest really have a extra special fresh taste to them! I just finished a batch to send to a friend for his birthday, but have decided I need to make some for home! Enjoy!!

—KMiller18

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May 20, 2005

These cookies were great after a few minor tweaks... I added just a touch more vanilla and then shook the cookies in a bag with about 1/4 cup powdered sugar to coat them. The powdered sugar coating was the perfect touch!

—THEMRSC

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Nutrition

Calories
149 kcal
7%

Carbohydrates
15 g
5%

Cholesterol
24 mg
8%

Fat
9.3 g
14%

Fiber
0.4 g
2%

Protein
1.4 g
3%

Sodium
125 mg
5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Serving Size: 1/10 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 149
Calories from Fat: 84

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.3g 14 %
Saturated Fat 5.8g 29 %
Cholesterol 24mg 8 %
Sodium 125mg 5 %
Potassium 24mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 15g 5 %
Dietary Fiber 0.4g 2 %
Protein 1.4g 3 %
** Sugars 5.4g
Vitamin A 6 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 1 %
Iron 6 %
** Thiamin 10 %
Niacin 8 %
Vitamin B6 < 1 %
Magnesium 1 %
Folate 13 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.