04 Sep Recipe: Easy Lemon Shortbread Cookies
These super-easy cookies, from Roberta Muir, are inspired by melting moments, using rice flour instead of cornflour for a more shortbread-like texture. Instead of sandwiching the lemon buttercream between two cookies, Roberta spreads it generously on top. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee, or as an after-dinner treat.
Makes 21 pieces
INGREDIENTS
- 125g salted butter, at room temperature (4½oz)
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted (26g/10z)
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup plain flour (75g/2⅔oz)
- ½ cup rice flour (63g/2¼oz)
Lemon Butter Cream
- 50g salted butter (1¾oz)
- ½ cup icing sugar, sifted (80g/3oz)
- 1 tablespoon strained lemon juice (20ml)
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
- Place the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, and finely grate the lemon zest over the top. Beat together until fluffy.
- Sift in the combined plain flour and rice flour and mix to combine well.
- Turn onto a clean, dry work surface and knead lightly to form a soft dough.
- Gently pat and roll into a rectangle about 15 x 20cm (6″ x 8″).
- Cut into 21 pieces and place them onto a baking paper-lined baking tray, leaving a little space between each piece.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until just starting to colour around the edges.
- Meanwhile, make the Lemon Butter Cream: beat the butter, icing sugar, and lemon juice together until fluffy; refrigerate until needed.
- Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- When ready to serve, spread Lemon Butter Cream on top of them and enjoy
Roberta Muir is the author of four cookbooks, a certified cheese judge and Sherry educator, and a restaurant reviewer and cooking teacher. She also has a Master of Arts degree in Gastronomy. You can learn more about her through her weekly newsletter.
