![Sparkling Shortbread Cookies](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/12/07/multimedia/YK-Sparkling-Shortbread-1-a959/YK-Sparkling-Shortbread-1-a959-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Lemon Meltaways
![Lemon Meltaways](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/08/10/dining/seneviratne-lemon-meltaways-horizontal/merlin_141910317_96dcd6a5-d3e3-44e5-86fc-548eb76d7cba-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1cup/227 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 2cups/246 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 1tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest
- 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1egg yolk
- 2cups/255 grams all-purpose flour
- ¼cup/32 grams cornstarch
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
- Step 1
Add butter, 1¼ cups/154 grams confectioners’ sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened, then turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the lemon juice and egg yolk. Mix to combine.
- Step 2
Reduce the speed to low, add the flour, cornstarch and salt, and mix until just combined.
- Step 3
Divide the dough into 2 pieces and set each piece on a length of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Fold the paper over the sticky dough, and use your hands to form it into a cylinder about 1½ inches wide. Roll the cylinder a few times to help shape it, but don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. Chill the dough until completely firm, at least 2 hours.
- Step 4
When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 5
Slice the dough into rounds just under ¼-inch thick and arrange them at least 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 to 17 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway though. The cookies should be golden around the edges, but not brown all of the way through.
- Step 6
Set the pans on cooling racks and cool for a few minutes. Dust both sides of the warm cookies with the remaining ¾ cup/92 grams confectioners’ sugar. Let the cookies cool completely, then store at room temperature in an airtight container. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar just before serving, if desired.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Marj, Cut open an empty paper towel tube & wrap it around the cookie, then put in the fridge. The log retains its round shape with no flat bottom.
What would you suggest for someone who does not have a stand mixer? I have a hand held mixer and a food processor. Thanks.
For those wondering what to do with the left over egg white and any extra lemon juice...I threw them into my cocktail shaker with boubon and simple syrup for a nice whiskey sour to sip on while the dough chills!
There is absolutely no reason not to make this recipe with a spoon and a bowl. Excepting a (very) few modern recipes that rely on the level of aeration that only an electric mixer will provide, these recipes were being made by people without mixers for generations, and you only need the mixer if you're not willing or able to be as patient and thorough with a spoon as they were.
Stick the dough in the fridge for endless hours of chilling? Nope, just put the dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes (a few minutes more or less, depending on how icy cold your freezer is) and it's ready to go. This method has yet to fail me.
I find the whole 'slice dough cilinder into cookie rounds' really difficult (simply because I'm quite uncoordinated). I just chill the dough in the freezer for about 15 mint, then roll it out between two layers of plastic wrap, and cut out cookies using a shot glass. Works perfectly.
These cookies were delicious! I used lime zest and lime juice and they are so refreshing and smelled wonderful as they baked. The cooking time is difficult to ascertain as they got very brown around the edges. For 1/4 inch cookies, they really need less than 12 minutes.
I like these better with sea salt flakes after baking instead of the confectioners' sugar.
Just bought a beautiful Indian River pink grapefruit to put into my sweet tea. I live far away from any grocery store so I skipped the lemon and used the grapefruit zest and juice. They were wonderful! I will try with lemon or lime next time.
Substituted 30g of caster sugar for the powdered sugar in the dough. Rubbed the lemon zest into the caster sugar to release more lemon oil, then added it and 124g of powdered sugar to cream with the butter.
These are the lemon cookies I’ve been searching for! And thanks to all those who post tips. I love the tip about subbing a bit of caster sugar and mushing the zest in. Used the zest from 2 medium lemons and made in my stand mixer. Didn’t bother with putting the sticky dough between paper - just put the whole bowl in fridge for a couple hours. Then scraped the dough out in pieces and worked into logs for cutting later. So good! I used meyer lemons and double the amount of zest. We loved these.
The recipe could have helped by adding "divided" to the confectioners sugar item.
I made these yesterday for our Royal Wedding Tea. They were delicious. I added some dried lavender, because I had it. I will make these again.
Be aware that you're supposed to save quite a lot of the confectioners sugar to put on afterwards. I was in a hurry and didn't read carefully enough! Darn it.
I would do step one with a hand mixer then step 2 with a big spoon by hand. It will b like mixing any stiff cookie dough.
Good, but I would use more lemon next time
Rates a remake here. They're easy to put together, cook quickly, you can bake just part of the batch and save the rest for later (only a couple days in my case), and they taste good! They're light, have a delicate crunch, and are lemony. But I wanted them more tart, hence only 4 stars. To achieve the next level of tart I added a couple pinches of citric acid to the powdered sugar sprinkle--it only takes a little! That was all it took. Oh, the dough is sticky--tighten paper wrap w/bench scraper.
Absolutely fabulous and so easy! Try to get the thickness as even as possible because it makes a big difference in how quickly the cook. I ended up pulling some off the pan and returning some to the oven for a few more minutes. Simply delicious!
These were okay, but not particularly remarkable. They didn't "melt" away on the palate the way that the NYT berry version does. I'd recommend that recipe over this one.
Nice! I think these would take well to frosting as an alternative to the powdered sugar coating. Less messy, too.
These came out incredible and I love them! I didn't have two hours to chill, so I did 30 minutes in the fridge and then 30 in the freezer and they still turned out crisp and delicate!
I am years too late but.....If you do not have an electric mixer or a stand mixer, you can use inexpensive Danish dough whisk. Works great.
I thought these were good and everyone enjoyed them on Easter. If I make them again, I might try a lemon glaze instead of the powdered sugar.
Warning! These cookies are dangerous, they are SO, SO GOOD, that you can t stop eating them! Easy to make and the dough can be frozen. Increase the amount of lemon zest to 2 Tbs and a bit more lemon juice. Meyer lemons are the best for this recipe. Read the recipe carefully and divide the powdered sugar.
These were delicious! And just wrapped well they kept for weeks. My second time around, we used them to make ice cream sandwiches, with homemade lemon-lavender sorbet between. Heavenly. Also I only have a hand mixer and that worked just fine for making the dough. And I used the freezer method suggested by another commenter for chilling them and it took about 15-20 minutes for the dough to be ready for slicing and baking. Third time I’ll try the whiskey sour suggested by Jules while I work!
I haven’t finished making these yet, but the Whiskey Sour suggestion is on point! It’s delicious!
OMG delicious but SUCH a pain in the neck. USE A COOKIE PRESS. Make ‘em quite small. Chill before baking.
Put the metal mixer bowl in freezer for 15 mins. Chill 2-3 shot glass to be used as a cookie cutter. Work swiftly otherwise dough will get soft. 10 mins in oven
Perfect! Went heavy on zest and juice. Light and crispy!!
These cookies are delicious. I had a hard time getting the dough into round logs so the cookies were a bit misshapened. I baked the cookies as directed and the first batch baked up perfectly. I used the same method for the second batch but they browned too much on the edges. May be my oven, but watch the second batch carefully. I dusted only one side with powdered sugar. This is a keeper.
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