Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Christmas Decorations
Decorated cookies are one of the best holiday snacks. These cookies have a unique butter and lemon flavor and are finished with a delicate lemon royal icing decoration. I'll teach you how to make cookies and frosting with all their tricks!
Servings: 20 medium-sized cookies
Calories: 147kcal
Equipment
- Christmas cookie cutters
- Piping bag
- Coupler
- Round piping tip (#2 or 3)
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 160 g Unsalted butter soft
- 60 g Powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 220 g All purpose flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
Lemon royal icing:
- 250 g powdered sugar
- 50 g extra powder sugar for consistency
- 1 tsp light corn syrup or glucose syrup optional
- 40 ml lemon juice approx. 1 lemon
- white food color optional
Decorations:
- Sprinkles or sugar pearls
- Sanding sugar
Instructions
Cookies
- Beat the soft butter with the powdered sugar and lemon zest until pale and creamy. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer.
- Add the flour and salt and continue mixing on low speed until combined.
- Transfer the dough onto the counter and form a ball with your hands without kneading it.
- Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to a ¼- inch thickness. Place it on a tray and freeze for 10-15 minutes until the dough is firm.
- Remove from the freezer and cut with the cookie cutters. If the dough is too hard, wait about 5 minutes before cutting.
- Place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-14 minutes. The time depends on the size and thickness of the cookies. They will be ready when the base and the edges are just starting to get golden brown. Let cool before decorating.
Royal Icing and decoration
- In a bowl sift the powdered sugar and add the light corn syrup and lemon juice. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer. First, stir lightly, without turning on the mixer. Then turn on the mixer at medium speed and beat for 3 minutes.
- To check the consistency of the icing, lift the whisk and drop a drizzle of icing. The drizzle should take 25 to 30 seconds to disappear. If it takes longer, add a teaspoon of water and mix. If the drizzle fades before that time, add a teaspoon of powdered sugar and mix. Repeat until you get a 25 to 30 seconds consistency.
- To decorate the cookies, set a piping bag with an adapter and a small round tip (#2 or #3).
- Decorate the cookies by drawing lines and dots or filling them.
- To flood the cookies with icing, pipe the outline, and then fill the inside using more pressure with the piping bag.
- Add sprinkles, sanding sugar, or edible pearls while the icing is wet.
- Let dry completely at room temperaturefor 8 to 12 hours before covering .
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg