• Lemony Christmas Shortbread Cookies
These sturdy shortbread cut-out cookies decorated with a tangy lemon glaze and a flurry of sprinkles are surprisingly elegant. To enhance the lemon flavor in the shortbread dough, rub the zest into the granulated sugar to release more of the essential oils before continuing with the recipe. To decorate the cookies, combine coarse and fine sanding sugars, with nonpareils, jimmies, dragees and candy pearls all in a single color palette, to give the cookies added depth and texture.
Makes 3 dozen cut-out cookies 2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter
1⁄ 2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Grated zest of two lemons
11 ⁄ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1⁄ 4
teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon fine sea salt 5 cups all-purpose flour
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows) and colored sprinkles for decorating
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat together until light and creamy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extract. Reduce the mixer to low speed and gradually mix in the salt and f lour, beating until the dough starts to come together.
Divide the dough equally in two, and roll each portion between two large sheets of parchment paper to about
1⁄4- inch thick. Take care not to roll the dough out too thinly, as shortbread cutouts are usually a little thicker than traditional sugar cookies.
Refrigerate the sheets of dough until firm, at least 30 minutes. Use 21⁄ to-3-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place each cookie 2 inches apart on parchment paperlined baking sheets. (Scraps of dough can be rerolled, refrigerated, then cut into more cookies.)
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The shortbread should be firm and no longer shiny and just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely before glazing.
When cool, spread the top of each cookie evenly with lemon glaze and decorate generously with sprinkles. When the icing is set, store the cookies in a tightly covered container for up to one week. 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice together until thick, smooth and spreadable, adding more lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary to achieve the right consistency.