Lemon Glazed Shortbread Cookies

This cookie recipe has served me well in the four years since I made the first batch. I've not had anyone say they don't like them.   It's a winner!

Bonus Points:
It's an easy recipe to pull together.
My five year old loved being part of the process (especially the glazing part!).
The dough can be made ahead and placed in the freezer to be baked another day.

Charm your friends and family. Make a batch or two.

Lemon Glazed Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 Cup Butter (1 1/2 sticks, salted or not - your choice) at room temperature
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Egg Yolks
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Flour

Glaze
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)
1 teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest (optional)

Use a mixer and beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg yolks, vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  Gradually add the flour (I place mine in a sifter and sift in slowly).

Dough gets crumbly as
you add the flour.  That's okay!

NOTE: The dough will start to ball apart/break up - this is fine and expected.




Mix until the flour is incorporated into the dough.   When you pull it out to make logs you'll hand mix the dough into a smooth consistency.

See how the dough is now 
smooth?  Easy peasy.

Divide the dough in half and roll into two logs.  Wrap each in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

You'll get two of these logs. 

Heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Slice logs into 3/8 inch thick pieces and space them on parchment lined baking sheet.

People wonder how I get these 
cookies so perfectly round.  Funny.

Perfectly cooked!

Bake until lightly golden, 16 - 20 minutes (my oven cooks them perfectly in 16).  Let cool a minute or so on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack (or on newsprint on your counter) to cool completely.











Glaze.
In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest  until it forms a glaze that is thick, but pourable (add more lemon juice as you desire). Dip top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, about 15 minutes (overnight is better).  

Truly luscious. 

Freezing the dough.
You can freeze the dough for up to two months.  Roll into two logs, twist the ends of the wax paper to help seal the dough, place in a gallon freezer bag.  When you're ready to bake, pull from freezer, slice and pop in the oven.  Your bake time will probably be longer from the frozen stage.  Keep an eye on them once placed in the oven.

Recipe originally pulled from December 2010 Real Simple magazine.