No-spread Lemon-y Shortbread Cookie Dough

My favorite recipe for a crispy, sturdy cookie that retains its shape. It’s a reliable base for icing decoration, and jam thumbprint cookies.

Instagram

No-spread Lemon-y Shortbread Cookie Dough

Course: CookiesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24-36

cookies
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

This recipe is based on Paper Street Parlour’s No-Spread Shortbread Cookie Dough.

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks or 345g room temperature unsalted butter for a sturdy cookie, or 4 sticks or 460g for a more tender cookie (see “notes”)

  • 198g granulated sugar

  • 56g powdered sugar

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

  • 6-8 drops lemon oil

  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest

  • Dry Ingredients
  • 600g all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Add flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl and mix until combined.
  • Cream butter and both butters for 2-3 minutes on low and medium-low speed with paddle attachment until fluffy and pale in color.
  • Add eggs, one at a time with the mixer running on low. Then add vanilla paste, lemon oil, and zest. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Add dry mixture, all at once, and mix on low and medium-low speed just until combined. Be careful to not over mix.
  • Turn dough onto plastic wrap, or into a container to refrigerate overnight (4 hours minimum).
  • Knead, roll, cut, and return cookie dough on baking sheet to fridge or freezer until firm.
  • Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. If you’re looking for a more tender cookie, remove from oven. If you need a sturdier cookie, rotate the sheet, and bake for another 3-5 minutes until edges are starting to turn a golden brown.

Notes

  • I recommend 4 sticks of butter for jam thumbprint cookies with a 15 minute bake time: these result in a tender, butter-y cookies. For a sturdier and crunchy texture, use 3 sticks of butter with a 20 minute bake time.