Lemon shortbread
Lemon shortbread cookies are a delicious twist on a classic Scottish bake. They have a beautiful soft buttery texture with a zingy lemon flavour.
Lemon shortbread cookies are a delicious twist on our classic Scottish shortbread recipe. They still have a soft, buttery texture but we’ve added some lemon flavour for an unforgettable bit of zing.
Shortbread is such a simple, lovely traditional bake, but once you’ve mastered the basic recipe you can jazz it up by adding different flavours as we have with these lemon shortbread cookies. It adds a different taste to the shortbread while maintaining their usual delicious texture.
Best of all, it’s such an easy recipe, with only a few ingredients, and no specialist equipment so kids and beginner bakes can enjoy making it.
How can kids help make lemon shortbread?
There are only a few ingredients in this lemon shortbread which makes it a great, easy bake for kids to help with.
The recipe is also really hands on, and doesn’t need any specialist equipment so if you and your children are new to baking this is a great place to start.
As with most bakes your kids will be able to measure out all the ingredients before mixing them together. And if your kids like playing with playdough, they’ll be great at rolling the dough out and cutting out all the cookies.
How do you store lemon shortbread cookies?
You can keep these shortbread cookies in an airtight container for up to five days. You can keep them for longer if you freeze them. Simply wrap each biscuit in cling film and pop them in a freezer bag.
Make sure you defrost them fully by leaving them out at room temperature before you serve them.
What use I use if I don’t have any cookie cutters?
We use the flutted side of our round cutters but if you don’t have any cutters you could use an upturned glass.
Alternatively, you can turn these from round cookies into shortbread fingers by simply pressing the dough into a baking tin.
If you want to do this, line an 8 inch / 20cm square baking tin with baking or parchment paper, and then instead of rolling out the dough, press it into the tin. Flatten the dough out and push it into the corners of the tin with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake it in the oven for around 30 minutes (or until it starts to turn golden brown). Remove it from the oven, then immediately cut it into fingers.
Should I use butter or margarine to make this shortbread?
We often use baking margarine (something like Stork) when we bake, but with these lemon shortbread cookies i’d recommend using butter. The butter gives the shortbread it’s flavour and texture so the end result won’t be quite as nice if you use margarine.
Why are my lemon shortbread cookies chewy?
Rather than being lovely and soft and crumbly, if your shortbread has turned out hard and chewy, it’s possible that you’ve over worked it.
When you’re working the dough and bringing it together, you need to try to stop working and kneading it as soon as it comes together. Having said that, when you’re baking with kids I wouldn’t worry too much about them being a little heavy handed. The lemon shortbread will still taste great even if the texture isn’t perfect.
What other Scottish recipes can I make?
If you want to browse some of our other Scottish recipes you can find them all together in one place, or check out our favourites:
Millionaire’s shortbread
Cranachan
Oat cakes
Empire biscuits
Scottish shortbread
Scotch broth
Shortbread fingers
Or if you’d like to make something with some more lemons try one of these delicious lemony flavoured treats:
Lemon drizzle cake
Lemon biscuits
Iced lemon traybake
Lemon bundt cake
No bake lemon cheesecake
Lemon cupcakes
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these lemon shortbread cookies:
Lemon zester
Lemon juicer
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Rolling pin
Cutters
Baking tray
Wire rack
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Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes plus 20 minutes baking
Serves: 20+ biscuits
Ingredients
Zest of one lemon
100g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
175g (1 1/4 cups) plain/all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
How to make lemon shortbread
Pre-heat your oven to 170C / 150C Fan / 340F and get your children to lightly grease 2 baking trays or line them with baking/parchment paper.
Prepare the lemon
Get your kids to help zest and juice the lemon. To make sure you get the most out of your lemon, heat it for 5-10 seconds in your microwave and roll it around on your work surface before you juice it.
Rub the butter and flour together
Get your kids to help you weigh the flour and put it in a large mixing bowl.
Measure the butter and get your kids to chop it into small pieces (this will make it easier to rub in). Pop it into your mixing bowl.
Using your finger tips rub everything together gently until you have a fine breadcrumb.
Add the sugar
Measure out the sugar and add it to your mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice and zest
Get your kids to add the two teaspoons of lemon juice and zest and mix it in. Start mixing it in with a wooden spoon or spatula, then use your hands to bring it all together.
Make the lemon shortbread
Knead the dough so it comes together in a nice ball of dough. You might need to knead it for a little while until it stops crumbling apart. Make sure you stop as soon as it comes together though to ensure the shortbread stays lovely and soft.
Lightly sprinkle some flour down on your work top.
Get your kids to help roll the dough out until it is about 5-7mm (1/4+ inches) thick.
Using a 5 cm fluted cutter, cut out the lemon shortbread cookies and place them onto your prepared baking trays.
This can be a fun job for little ones (especially if they like playing with playdough).
Bring together any scraps, re-roll it and cut out some more shortbread cookies. Keep doing this until there’s no dough left.
If you find the shortbread sticks to your rolling pin or work surface. You might prefer to lay a sheet of baking paper underneath and another one on top.
Using a fork get your kids to prick the top of each shortbread biscuit gently.
Pop your baking trays in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
Bake the lemon shortbread
Bake the shortbread cookies for 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they are starting to turn golden brown.
Remove the shortbread from the oven and leave it to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes, before popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy.
Lemon shortbread
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Get your kids to help zest and juice the lemon. To make sure you get the most out of your lemon, heat it for 5-10 seconds in your microwave and roll it around on your work surface before you juice it. Set it aside for now.
- Measure out the butter and cut it into small pieces. Measure out the flour and add it, with the butter to a large mixing bowl.Using your fingers rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Measure out the flour and add it to your mixing bowl.
- Add the two teaspoons of lemon juice and mix it in. Start mixing it in with a wooden spoon or spatula, then use your hands to bring it all together.
- Knead the dough so it comes together in a nice ball of dough. You might need to knead it for a little while until it stops crumbling apart. Make sure you stop as soon as it comes together though to ensure the shortbread stays lovely and soft.
- Lightly sprinkle some flour down on your work top.Roll the dough out until it is about 5-7mm (1/4+ inches) thick.
- Using a 5 cm fluted cutter, cut out the lemon shortbread cookies and place them onto your prepared baking trays.Bring together any scraps, re-roll it and cut out some more shortbread cookies. Keep doing this until there's no dough left.
- Pop your baking trays in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake the shortbread cookies for 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they are starting to turn golden brown. Remove the shortbread from the oven and leave it to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes, before popping them on a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
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If you liked these lemon shortbread cookies, you’ll love our other biscuit and cookies as well as our favourite easy bakes for kids.
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