lemon shortbread cookies

i made lemon shortbread cookies with lemon icing! they turned out so delicious i can't stop eating them :S

the only thing i'd do different is the icing.. it's a wee bit too sweet. i'm not sure if icing is really necessary anyway.



LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES
recipe from marzipan adapted from martha stewart cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
zest of one lemon

Sift together flour and salt into a bowl. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of bowl when needed. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and lemon zest; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined. Shape dough into a small, flat round and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F with rack in the center of oven. Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness, using a small amount of flour on the work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking. Cut into desired shapes and place cookies on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Bake until cookies a just starting to turn golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on the cookie sheet.

LEMON ICING
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
lemon juice from 1/4 lemon

Whisk together sugar and butter. Add lemon juice and whisk until smooth and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cookies.

the interesting part about this recipe is after each stage, you place the dough in the fridge. the steam resulting from the cold butter melting during the baking process creates tiny, little air pockets (like in puff pastry). it totally makes this cookie so very soft and crumbly. apparently when reading a bit of science related baking, unsalted butter is better for the flakiness than salted butter (has a lower boiling point).

shortbread dough does freeze well.. maybe i can make logs in advance.