Granny Ashton's Lemon Shortbread
Granny Ashton's shortbread once crossed an ocean in a suitcase, wrapped in tea towels and bound for Dallas. A few rounds arrived broken. Nobody minded. That is the thing about good shortbread: it is only butter, sugar and flour, and somehow it tastes like being looked after.
These lemon shortbread cookies are crisp at the edges, wonderfully tender in the middle, and fragrant with fresh lemon zest. Buttery without being heavy, sweet without being cloying, and rather lovely with a cup of tea.
TIME About 1½ hours | MAKES About 30 | LEVEL Easy |
BEFORE YOU START Weigh your flour if you can. Shortbread has so few ingredients that a little extra flour makes a noticeable difference to the texture. |
Read the story behind this recipe: The Cookies Granny Ashton Sent to Dallas
Why You'll Love It
JUST SIX INGREDIENTS Butter, sugar, flour, lemon and a pinch of salt. Nothing fussy, nothing hard to find. | MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH A little cornflour gives the classic tender, sandy crumb. |
BRIGHT WITH LEMON Zest rubbed into the sugar carries real lemon flavour through every bite. | MADE FOR SHARING Keeps for a week, freezes beautifully and travels well in a tin. |
Tested in my kitchen · As seen on TODAY and The Tonight Show · Parade magazine's chef for 10 years · About Chef Jon → |
Granny Ashton's Lemon Shortbread
Ingredients
½ cup (100 g) caster sugar (superfine sugar), plus extra for sprinkling
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon fine salt
2⅓ cups (290 g) plain flour (all-purpose flour), preferably weighed
⅓ cup (40 g) cornflour (cornstarch)
Method
STEP 1 OF 8
Make the lemon sugar
Place the caster sugar and finely grated lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Rub them together with your fingertips for about a minute, until the sugar becomes fragrant and slightly damp. This releases the natural oils from the zest and carries their flavour through every bite.
You'll know it's right when the sugar looks like damp sand and smells strongly of lemon. |
STEP 2 OF 8
Cream the butter
Add the softened butter and salt. Beat for about one minute, until smooth and creamy. Avoid whipping too much air into the mixture, as shortbread should have a delicate, close crumb rather than a light, cakey texture.
Chef Jon's tip: soft butter gives easily under a fingertip but still holds its shape. Melted butter makes greasy shortbread. |
STEP 3 OF 8
Add the flours
Sift the plain flour and cornflour into the bowl. Mix gently on low speed, or with a wooden spoon, until the ingredients begin to come together. The dough may look crumbly at first, but it should hold together when pressed. Avoid overmixing.
If something's off: if the dough won't come together, press it with your hands for a few seconds. The warmth of your hands helps the butter bind it. |
STEP 4 OF 8
Roll and chill
Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll to about ⅓ inch (8 mm) thick. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes, until firm.
STEP 5 OF 8
Cut the rounds
Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C), or 300°F (150°C) for a fan oven. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Using a 2 inch (5 cm) round cutter, cut the chilled dough into rounds, gently gathering and re-rolling the scraps once. Arrange on the baking sheets, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
STEP 6 OF 8
Prick and chill again
Prick each round a few times with a fork and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar. Return the baking sheets to the refrigerator for another 15 minutes. This final chill helps the cookies keep their neat shape in the oven.
STEP 7 OF 8
Bake low and slow
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to turn pale golden and the centres look set. If baking both trays together, swap their positions halfway through for even baking.
You'll know it's right when the edges are just turning pale gold and the tops look dry and set. Shortbread should stay pale, not brown. |
STEP 8 OF 8
Cool completely
Let the cookies rest on their baking sheets for 5 minutes before carefully moving them to a wire rack. They are delicate while warm but become beautifully crisp and tender as they cool.
Granny Ashton's Shortbread Tips
Use good butter: with so few ingredients, the quality of the butter makes a noticeable difference.
Weigh the flour: flour varies a lot when measured by volume. Using 290 g gives a consistent dough every time.
Don't overwork the dough: mix only until it comes together. Too much handling makes shortbread tough.
Keep them pale: shortbread should be lightly golden at the edges, never deeply browned.
Let them cool completely: the crisp, tender texture develops as they cool.
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Key Ingredients
Unsalted Butter: The star of the recipe. It gives shortbread its richness, flavour and crumbly texture, so use the best you can find.
Caster Sugar: Fine sugar dissolves easily into the butter for a smooth dough, and a sprinkle on top gives a delicate sparkle.
Fresh Lemon Zest: Rubbed into the sugar, it releases fragrant oils that flavour the cookies without adding moisture.
Plain Flour: Gives the shortbread its structure. Weigh it for the most reliable results.
Cornflour: Replacing a little of the flour with cornflour reduces gluten, which is what gives shortbread its tender, melting crumb.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Warm dough: soft butter makes the rounds spread, so always give them that final 15 minute chill.
Too much flour: scooping flour packs it down and makes dry, crumbly shortbread. Weigh it, or spoon it into the cup.
Overmixing: stop as soon as the dough comes together, or the cookies turn tough.
Baking too hot or too long: shortbread should stay pale. Browned edges mean a bitter, dry finish.
The Story Behind This Lemon Shortbread Recipe
Granny Ashton never needed an occasion to make shortbread.
A little butter, some flour, a spoonful of sugar, and the kitchen would begin to smell like home.
Once, a tin of it crossed an ocean in a suitcase, wrapped in tea towels and bound for Dallas. Some arrived broken. It didn't matter. What arrived was the point.
These lemon shortbread cookies are a small variation on that familiar tradition. The lemon brings a little brightness, but the heart of the recipe remains unchanged.
Read the full story: The Cookies Granny Ashton Sent to Dallas
Why This Lemon Shortbread Recipe Works
Fresh lemon zest provides a delicate citrus fragrance. Rubbing the zest into the sugar releases its aromatic oils, giving the cookies a lovely lemon flavour without adding moisture.
Cornflour creates a tender crumb. Replacing a small portion of the plain flour with cornflour reduces the gluten, helping the shortbread develop its characteristic melting texture.
Butter is the star. Good quality unsalted butter provides richness, flavour and the wonderfully crumbly texture that makes traditional shortbread so irresistible.
Chilling keeps the shape. Firming the butter before baking reduces spreading and gives neat, beautifully defined rounds.
Gentle baking protects the buttery flavour. A low oven lets the cookies cook through without taking on too much colour.
A Little History of Shortbread
Shortbread has its roots in Scotland, where its rich, crumbly texture has been enjoyed for centuries.
The word short refers to the way butter interferes with gluten, producing a tender biscuit that breaks apart rather than stretching or turning chewy.
Butter was once an expensive ingredient, so shortbread was kept for celebrations, particularly Christmas, Hogmanay and other special occasions.
Over time, homemade shortbread became a familiar expression of hospitality throughout Britain. A tin of buttery biscuits, offered with a cup of tea or sent to someone far away, could say rather more than words.
Granny Ashton understood that perfectly.
Easy Lemon Shortbread Variations
Lemon Glaze: Whisk 1 cup (120 g) icing sugar with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, adding a few more drops if needed, until thick but pourable. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies and let it set before storing.
Earl Grey Lemon Shortbread: Add the finely crushed contents of 2 Earl Grey tea bags to the lemon sugar before mixing in the butter. The bergamot complements the lemon beautifully.
White Chocolate Lemon Shortbread: Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted white chocolate and leave on baking paper until set.
Lemon and Lavender Shortbread: Add ½ to 1 teaspoon finely crushed dried culinary lavender to the sugar and zest. Use a light hand, as lavender can quickly overwhelm the butter.
How to Store Lemon Shortbread
Room temperature: Once completely cool, store in an airtight tin for up to one week. The flavour often becomes even more rounded after a day.
Freezer (baked): Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to three months.
Can You Freeze Lemon Shortbread Dough?
Yes. The dough freezes beautifully.
Roll it into a log, wrap it securely and freeze for up to three months. Let it soften slightly in the refrigerator before slicing into rounds.
Or freeze the cut, unbaked rounds on a tray, then transfer them to a freezer container. Bake straight from frozen, allowing a few extra minutes in the oven.
Can You Send Homemade Shortbread Through the Post?
Absolutely, though careful packing makes all the difference.
Let the cookies cool completely, then pack them in a sturdy airtight tin with baking paper between the layers. Fill any gaps with crumpled baking paper so nothing moves, and choose a firm, well-fitting box for shipping.
A few may arrive broken, of course. Granny Ashton would tell you not to worry about that. They taste just as good.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Shortbread
Why is my lemon shortbread crumbly?
Shortbread is naturally crumbly because of its high butter content. If the dough refuses to hold together, the flour may have been overmeasured or the butter not fully mixed in. Press the dough together gently before chilling.
Can I use lemon juice instead of lemon zest?
Fresh zest is best because it gives concentrated lemon flavour without adding moisture. Lemon juice changes the dough's consistency and can affect the finished texture. Save the juice for the lemon glaze.
Why did my shortbread spread during baking?
The butter probably became too warm before baking. Chilling the cut rounds for 15 minutes before they go in the oven helps them keep their shape.
Can I make lemon shortbread without cornflour?
Yes. Replace the 40 g of cornflour with the same weight of plain flour. The cookies will still be delicious, though the texture will be slightly firmer.
How do I know when lemon shortbread is baked?
Look for pale golden edges and centres that look dry and set. Shortbread should not turn deeply brown, and it will keep firming up as it cools.
A Final Thought
And if a few break before they reach the biscuit tin, consider it an invitation to put the kettle on.
Recommended Equipment
Make this recipe easier with the right tools: a Digital Scale, a 2 inch (5 cm) round cutter and two baking sheets.
You Might Also Like
If you enjoyed this recipe, try Lemon Curd, Ultimate Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
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