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As I was testing and tweaking this Lemon-Glazed Shortbread recipe, I thought to myself that, if there were ever a case for a culinary middle name, mine might very well be Shortbread!
If you're new here, you might not be aware that we have a slightly ridiculous number of shortbread recipes in our archives. I'm a huge shortbread fan because it's simple, timeless, and never fails to bring rave reviews. In addition to all that, it's also endlessly adaptable.
Many of our favorites, like our beloved Irish Shortbread (pictured below), are rolled and cut into beautiful shapes, perfect when you have the time and the inclination to linger in the kitchen.
But, if you're like me, there are those days when you want all the buttery deliciousness of shortbread without the rolling pin, cutters, or extra steps - that's where this Ridiculously Easy Glazed Lemon Shortbread comes to the rescue!
Ridiculously easy!
Why do we call this Lemon-Glazed Shortbread recipe Ridiculously Easy? Well, first of all, because it truly is that easy. All you do is combine nice soft butter with sugar, lemon zest, cornstarch, and flour. Stir it all together and transfer the shaggy dough to a cake pan. Then just press the dough evenly into a 9-inch pan, and bake. Cut the dough into wedges when it comes out of the oven. Once cooled, drizzle the bright, fresh, two-ingredient glaze over the top.
That's it... well, except for enjoying every crisp, sweet, buttery lemon-kissed bite!
The other reason we call this glazed lemon shortbread "Ridiculously Easy" is because that's actually a special category of recipes here at The Café. These recipes follow a few simple guidelines designed to keep things approachable and stress-free (you can read more about them here, or browse the full collection here). My nutshell description of Ridiculously Easy recipes goes like this: "They're the kind of recipes that make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part". And honestly? I'm a huge fan of that kind of cooking ... how about you?
How to serve this Lemon Glazed Shortbread
These glazed lemon shortbread wedges are wonderfully versatile and feel right at home just about anywhere... served alongside a cup of coffee, tea, or cold milk, served on a dessert board, or set out as a sweet finish to a casual gathering. We love pairing these pretty wedges with ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt.
These lemon shortbread wedges also make a lovely homemade gift, whether wrapped in parchment and tied with ribbon or packed into a pretty box. To make gifting easy and extra special, we've created a set of free printable labels just for this recipe.
To receive the labels, simply enter your email below and you'll receive a PDF straight to your inbox, along with simple printing instructions and more delicious recipe inspiration from The Café.
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Includes two labels: one decorative, the second with storage directions.
Make it!
This sweet, buttery, lemon-glazed shortbread recipe is easy, elegant, and perfect for sharing! Save the recipe, print the labels, and enjoy every bite!
- Because this recipe is a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe, your butter needs to be nice and soft. You can let refrigerated butter sit at room temperature for a few hours or employ one of these tricks:
- To help the butter soften quickly, cut it into pieces around 1 inch in size.
- You can soften the butter in the microwave on power level 10%. It works like magic. You'll need to experiment a bit with your microwave, though, as they're all different. Start with 1 minute. Add 20 to 30-second increments until you learn how long your microwave will take to get the butter nice and soft, but not melted.
- Another technique I often use to soften butter is putting it in the microwave for 30-60 minutes with the light on. To keep the light on in the microwave, I put a folded paper towel in the door.
- Boil a cup of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes and get things a little steamy. Leave the water cup in the microwave, add the butter, and close the door. The warmth from the steamy water will help to quickly soften the butter. Check it every 5-10 minutes.
- Place the hard butter on a small plate. Fill a bowl with hot water. Wait 5 minutes, then discard the water. Put the warm bowl over the butter. Check it in 10 minutes and every 5 minutes until it's nice and soft.
- Put the butter in the oven with the light turned on. This will take a least an hour.
- The fastest way to soften butter is to put cold butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. Flip it to the opposite side and microwave for another 10 seconds. It might be ready at this point, but if it's not completely soft, add one or two more 5-second stints.
- This shortbread on its own is not overly sweet, but the lemon glaze adds the perfect touch of sweet vibrance.
- There are several pan options for making this shortbread, and your choice will determine how thick the final shortbread is. I usually use a 9-inch cake pan, but for a thicker shortbread, an 8-inch pan is perfect. We love it both ways.
- I love the pre-cut parchment paper rounds for baking cakes and pan shortbread. They come in 8-inch and 9-inch sizes, save lots of time when baking and a package lasts forever (unless you're a crazy cook like me, then they only last halfway to forever).
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Ridiculously Easy Glazed Lemon Shortbread Wedges
Ingredients
For the Shortbread
- 1 cup very soft butter, I use salted butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, plus a bit more, if needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon half-and-half or whole milk, plus a bit more, if needed.
Instructions
For the prep:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan generously with baking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside.
For the shortbread:
- In a medium-large bowl, combine the soft butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Stir for about 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy.1 cup very soft butter, Zest of 1 medium lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the cornstarch and stir until fully incorporated. ¼ cup cornstarch
- Add the flour and continue stirring until all the flour is incorporated and a shaggy dough forms. The mixture will seem dry at first, just keep going!1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press it evenly with your fingers, making sure there are no loose crumbs around the edges.
- Bake for 28-38 minutes, or until the top is a light golden brown.
- Invert the shortbread onto a flat plate, place a cutting board on top, and invert again so the top side is facing up.
- Using a long, sharp knife, cut into wedges while still warm.
- Transfer wedges to a wire rack and cool completely.
- For a crisper texture, place the rack with cut pieces on a sheet pan and return to the oven for 5 minutes, then cool completely.
For the lemon glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, and half and half (or milk) until smooth.1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon half-and-half or whole milk
- Adjust consistency with additional powdered sugar or liquid as needed. You want a nice thick glaze but one that is still drizzlable.
- Drizzle glaze back and forth over cooled shortbread wedges. Allow glaze to set for at least 4 hours before storing or packaging.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Cutting the shortbread while warm ensures clean, neat wedges.
This shortbread keeps beautifully and makes an excellent gift.
For extra lemon flavor, add a little additional zest to the glaze.
Nutrition
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What is the best way to store these and how long will they last if I want to make them ahead for an event? Is it better to glaze them before storing them or right before serving?
Hi Elisa, if you want to make these way ahead, they freeze well! I would add the glaze after you thaw them and give it time to set. If you want to make them a day or two ahead, they store well in an airtight container. You can add the glaze right away and give it time to set, or glaze them a few hours before serving.
Hi! Is the shortbread sturdy enough to be the base of a set mousse dessert? Thanks!
Hi Caitlin, it's hards to say without knowing your exact recipe. I know that this one makes a great crust base: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/ridiculously-easy-press-in-tart-crust-for-sweet-or-savory-tarts/
Hi Chris, I share your love for shortbread and this lemon recipe is one of my favorites. I just got a decorative stoneware shortbread pan with designs embossed on the bottom. I’ve been wanting one for a long time and was thrilled to find it inexpensively at my local Goodwill! do you think it will it work with your shortbread recipes if I butter the pan well? I’ve always used parchment paper with good results but love the idea of having a pretty floral design and fluted edges. Thanks so much!
Hi Meredith, Lucky you, to find such a treasure! I haven't tried this shortbread in a decorative pan, but it should work fine!
I made this with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and they were amazing! When I cut them they crumbled a bit as they are very fragile. But completely cooled they held together and were so yummy. The whole family loved them!
Hi Amy, Thanks for the great review and for letting us know how these turned out with GF flour. So glad to hear how much you and your family enjoyed them!
I made these today with my daughter. They are fantastic! The perfect pick me up on this grey January day. 🙂 Thank you for publishing both metric and US measurements, I find that weighing ingredients really helps when baking. Love the lemon flavor, it is so perfect for shortbread. Plain shortbread is typically so bland - but these are delicious.
Thank you for the excellent review, Stacey! So wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe and how well the metric measurements turned out for you and your daughter (and we agree about lemon as a delicious dessert flavor - hope you'll try more of our bright lemon desserts on the website!)
I need clarification.
I have tried this recipe twice now and both times it was doughy and crumbly. The taste was fine, but the consistency was not.
The only thing I did was Instead of stirring, I used my hands to mix the ingredients.
Can you send a video showing what the dough looks like before it is cooked? I am disappointed.
Hi Debbie, you may want to try using just a bit less flour. Flour can vary a lot, depending on how you measure it. I spoon it into my cup and then level it off.
We don't have a video for this particular recipe yet.
Another great recipe! These are so good and look so impressive on a platter. You have outdone yourself again! Thank you.
Hi Liz, Thanks for the great review! It's wonderful to hear how well these this recipe turned out for you - Enjoy!
The recipe was easy to make and really good. But they were very crumbly and some of them fell apart when moving them to the cooling rack. What did I do wrong
Hi Pat, two things you might want to try next time. Pat the dough into the pan more firmly and wait a few extra minutes before transferring the wedges to the cooling rack.
Wonderful flavor, great texture, and very easy to make! Thanks for sharing this excellent recipe; this will become a family favorite.
Thank you for the excellent review, Melissa! So happy to hear how well this recipe turned out for you. Hope you and your family enjoy!
I made the cookies, delicious! I need to order the boxes and ribbon you all used.
Thank you for all the great recipes and packaging ideas!
Sandra Lee
Hi Sandra, So wonderful to hear how well this recipe worked for you - thanks for letting us know! Enjoy the cookies, boxes and ribbons!
This looks like a great recipe; however, I am a little puzzled by the amount of salt needed. If I use unsalted butter, how much salt do I need?
Hi Anne, if you use unsalted butter, just add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt when making the shortbread.
Shortbread is one of my favorites, Thank you (I would love to have the labels)
Hi Gary, No need to request the labels for this shortbread. If you scroll up, you'll find a form where you can enter your email and get the labels instantly. It's our new system that we're in the process of changing for all of our labels. Hope you enjoy the recipe and the labels!
Hi Chris! Now I'm REALLY confused. Based on John's comment about the number of pieces, I decided to check for myself. I counted 15 pieces. TWICE! Are you playing silly games with us? I love "Spot the Differences" games, but this is just...😂
Hoping you and yours have a blessed week! 🙏
Haha, we're really not trying to confuse you, Terry. John and his "grands" were looking at (and counting from) the overhead shot. You were looking at the side shot, which seems to be even a little more incriminating, as I made two pans of shortbread, each cut into 12 wedges. Please don't do the math.
Thank you for the recipe. I would love to have the labels.
Hi Sonja, no need to request the labels for this shortbread. If you scroll up, you'll find a form where you can enter your email and get the labels instantly. It's our new system that we're in the process of changing for all of our labels.
(Stars in confident anticipation as we head out the door to buy lemons.) I have one question that I would absolutely love to have answered but will definitely survive if you don't have the time: exactly what genius math did you employ to cut that beautiful shortbread into 11 (eleven!) perfect wedges??? (We counted 3 times. Grandling #1: "Grumpy, check it out. That doesn't match any of my fraction circles. It's, like, impossible!"
Café Sucre Farine *Magique*!
Oh my goodness, you make me laugh so hard, John. I think you're just trying to get me to admit that we ate the 12th wedge - but someone has to do the taste-testing, right?
Looks really good and I have everything needed. Can't wait to try it. Please send labels so I can share with a touch if soecial.
Hi Alice, no need to request the labels for this shortbread. If you scroll up, you'll find a form where you can enter your email and get the labels instantly. It's our new system that we're in the process of changing for all of our labels.
Oh yum! Thanks for the recipe. Can I get the labels please?
Hi Bradlyn, you can get them instantly - just scroll up to the form in the post, enter your email and the labels will be delivered to your inbox.