Iced Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies (Printable)

Buttery shortbread cookies with aromatic lavender and zesty lemon, finished with a tangy lemon glaze.

# What You Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
04 - 1 teaspoon culinary dried lavender, finely chopped
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour

→ Lemon Icing

07 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
08 - 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender buds for garnish (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer until mixture becomes pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
02 - Add lemon zest, chopped lavender, and salt to butter mixture. Mix thoroughly until ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
03 - Gradually pour in flour while mixing on low speed. Continue mixing just until dough forms and no dry flour streaks remain visible. Do not overmix.
04 - Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into 2-inch diameter logs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes until firm.
05 - Set oven temperature to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
06 - Remove chilled dough logs from refrigerator. Using sharp knife, slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds and arrange on prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-inch space between cookies.
07 - Bake for 14-16 minutes until edges turn light golden brown. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
08 - In small bowl, whisk together sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and glossy. Adjust consistency with additional lemon juice if needed.
09 - Drizzle or spread lemon icing generously over cooled cookies. Garnish with additional lavender buds if desired. Let icing set completely before serving or storing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly tender, like biting into a cloud that happens to taste like lemon and sunshine
  • These cookies look stunning on any platter but require zero fancy decorating skills
  • The lavender and lemon combination creates this sophisticated flavor profile that still feels comfortingly familiar
02 -
  • Culinary lavender is much milder than craft store lavender, never use anything not labeled specifically for baking
  • The chilling step is not optional, warm dough spreads too much and loses that refined shortbread shape
  • Let the icing set completely before stacking or storing, otherwise youll end up with one giant cookie cluster
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them, its nearly impossible to zest a squeezed lemon
  • If your dough is too cold to slice neatly, let it sit on the counter for exactly five minutes
  • Room temperature ingredients combine more smoothly than cold ones do

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