I've been craving homemade shortbread lately. It must be all the healthy fruit and salads that I'm eating right now that needs to be offset with a bit of pure indulgence! And it's a treat for the family as we count down the days until we take flight and head off to sunnier climes for a week. We're just a tiny bit excited about all that :)
The boys are off at camp this week so I get more kitchen time -- yay :) And so this Luscious Lemon Shortbread was born! Not only does it have grated lemon zest in the biscuit, but a gorgeous lemon frosting on top made from freshly squeezed lemon juice.
I like putting a little rice flour in my shortbread as I think it gives it an additional crunch and makes it taste a little nuttier. Although rice flour has become a little trickier to find where I live since the supermarkets no longer stock it, I now have to get it from a health food store -- but it's totally worth any extra effort to mix rice flour with your plain flour.
I decided to top the shortbread with a luscious lemony frosting made from melted butter, icing sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice which adds a real zing and is beautifully smooth and creamy against the crunch of the shortbread. If you love lemon, this really transforms the whole biscuit to another level.
In true taste test fashion, I gave this to my boys to try -- and they absolutely loved it! They're always shortbread fans but they really loved the addition of lemon frosting on top. This is a fab standalone recipe for the shortbread only but I really suggest you pop your beachwear diets on hold and plump for the frosting too as it's AMAZING! I hope you love it as much as me :)
Luscious Lemon Shortbread
Shortbread Ingredients
- 120G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
- 60G CASTER SUGAR
- 120G PLAIN FLOUR
- 60G RICE FLOUR
- PINCH OF SALT
- 1 LEMON, ZEST
Lemon Frosting Ingredients
- 60G BUTTER, MELTED & COOLED
- 130G ICING SUGAR, SIFTED
- 1/2 LEMON, JUICE
You will also need a loaf tin: mine is 25cm x 11cm
Method
- Line your loaf tin with greaseproof paper
- Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale (around 5 minutes)
- Add the plain flour, rice flour and salt and mix to combine
- Press the dough into the loaf tin
- Prick the surface of the dough with a fork and then pop it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until firm
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees (fan)
- Bake the shortbread for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown
- Leave to cool for a few minutes and then carefully transfer it from the tin to a cooling rack using the greaseproof paper to help
- It's very important that the shortbread is completely cool before you add the frosting, otherwise your frosting will melt
- To make the frosting, put the *cooled* melted butter into a bowl
- Sieve the icing sugar over the top
- Add the juice of half a lemon
- Mix the frosting until completely smooth and a spreadable consistency
- Spread across the surface of the shortbread
- You can now carefully cut the shortbread into fingers
- The shortbread is better served at room temperature but you can keep it in the fridge in warmer weather
- Enjoy your shortbread fingers with a cup of tea :)