Lemon Shortbread Cookies (Buttery, No-Spread)

That first bite should snap delicately, then melt—like sunshine and butter. If your shortbread has ever baked up tough, bland, or dusty, this recipe fixes it with a classic ratio and smart lemon technique.

You’ll rub zest into sugar to unlock fragrance, press a tender dough into an 20 cm/8-in pan, and bake low and slow for even color. By the end, you’ll know exactly how the dough should feel, what “pale gold” actually looks like, and how to glaze for tidy squares.

Why This Recipe Works (The Tested Formula)

Shortbread is restraint: sugar : butter : flour = 1 : 2 : 3 by weight. We keep that spirit with 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar, 226 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, and 300 g total starch (285 g/2¼ cups all-purpose flour + 15 g/2 tbsp cornstarch). Powdered sugar and cornstarch create a fine, sandy crumb that snaps, then melts.

Lemon stays balanced by putting zest in the dough (flavor without extra water) and juice in the glaze for a bright finish. Bake at 160 °C/325 °F until the edges are just turning light gold; overbaking dries it out. The part most people get wrong? Over-creaming the butter and sugar. Mix just until combined to avoid puffing and toughness. Craving an easy tray dessert for next time? Try our creamy No-Bake Boston Cream Pie Bars.

Ingredients You’ll Need (with Smart Substitutions)

Expect a short list and big lemon flavor. Cool room-temp butter keeps the dough cohesive; chilling the pressed slab sets the shape. If you’re gluten-free, a 1:1 GF flour blend by weight works—keep the cornstarch.

For the shortbread (8×8-in / 20×20 cm pan):

• Unsalted butter — 226 g | 1 cup (2 sticks), cool room temp
• Powdered sugar — 90 g | ¾ cup, sifted
• Fine lemon zest — 2 tbsp (from ~2 lemons)
• Fine sea salt — 2 g | ¼ tsp
• All-purpose flour — 285 g | 2¼ cups, spooned & leveled
• Cornstarch — 15 g | 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract — 1 tsp (optional)

For the lemon glaze:

• Powdered sugar — 120 g | 1 cup, sifted
• Fresh lemon juice — 30–45 ml | 2–3 tbsp, to taste
• Heavy cream or milk — 15 ml | 1 tbsp (optional, for softer set)
• Pinch fine salt

Smart swaps:

• Salted butter: use it and skip added salt.
• No powdered sugar? Pulse granulated sugar to a fine powder.
• No cornstarch? Use cake flour for part of the AP (swap 30 g/¼ cup).

Step-by-Step (Timing, Visual Cues, Pan Size)

Rub zest into the powdered sugar with your fingers until it’s fragrant and slightly damp. Beat in butter just until smooth—no fluffing. Add salt, then the flour + cornstarch; mix on low until a dough forms with no dry pockets.

Line a 20×20 cm/8×8-in metal pan with a parchment sling. Crumble in dough, then press firmly and evenly (use the bottom of a measuring cup). Dock with a fork 12–16 times. Chill 20 minutes. Bake at 160 °C/325 °F for 28–35 minutes, rotating at 20 minutes, until the surface looks matte and the edges are pale gold. If edges brown too fast, tent loosely with foil.

Cool in the pan 15 minutes, whisk glaze until pourable, and spread thinly over warm shortbread. Let set until the glaze loses its shine (20–30 minutes). Lift out by the sling and cut 4×4 = 16 squares with a long knife, wiping between cuts. Cookie lovers? After these, you’ll also love our chewy Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Air-fryer note: In a small metal pan that fits your basket (about 18–20 cm/7–8 in), bake at 150 °C/300 °F for 12–16 minutes; watch for the same pale-gold edges.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

• Color cue beats time: Pull when edges are light golden, center matte—not shiny.
• Don’t over-cream: Mix butter/sugar just smooth; too much air = puffing and tough bite.
• Weigh flour (300 g total starch): If using cups, spoon & level to avoid dry, crumbly bars.
• Press firmly & evenly: A flat, compact slab bakes level and slices clean.
• Chill before baking (20 min): Prevents shrinkage and keeps edges sharp.
• Clean cuts: Cool 15 min, glaze, set 20–30 min, then slice with a hot, dry knife.

Variations & Budget-Friendly Ideas

• Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 9 g | 1 tbsp poppy seeds to the dry mix.
• Almond Lemon: Swap ½ tsp vanilla for ½ tsp almond extract; sprinkle 20 g | 2 tbsp sliced almonds on top before baking.
• Lavender Lemon: Add 1 tsp finely crushed culinary lavender to the sugar with the zest.
• Chocolate-Dipped: After cooling (no glaze), dip corners in melted dark chocolate; set.
• Muffin Tin Minis: Press 25–28 g (heaping tbsp) dough into lined cups; bake 14–18 min at 160 °C/325 °F.

For a fun fall pairing, check out our Apple Pie Caramel Apple treat.

Storage, Make-Ahead & Reheat

• Room temp: Airtight up to 5–7 days. Layer with parchment to protect the glaze.
• Freeze bars (glazed or plain): Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped at room temp.
• Re-crisp: 5–7 minutes at 150 °C/300 °F on a bare sheet to revive snap (unglazed works best).
• Make-ahead dough: Press in pan, wrap, and refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze 1 month. Bake from cold; add 2–4 minutes.

FAQs

Can I use a 9×13-in (23×33 cm) pan?

Yes—multiply ingredients by ~1.8× (or simply double for a slightly thicker bar) and bake 35–45 minutes at 160 °C/325 °F, watching for the same pale-gold edges.

My shortbread turned out tough. What happened?

Likely over-creaming or too much flour. Mix just to combine and weigh flour (or spoon & level cups). Bake only to pale gold.

Can I skip the glaze?

Absolutely. For extra lemon pop without the glaze, add 1 tsp lemon extract to the dough or shower warm bars with 2 tbsp superfine sugar.

Sources & Further Reading

• King Arthur Baking — how to measure flour accurately to avoid dry bakes; reliable cup-to-gram guidance.
• Serious Eats (Stella Parks) — why powdered vs. granulated sugar changes shortbread texture and spread.
• USDA FoodKeeper — storage best-practices for baked goods at room temp and in the freezer

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