Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Tender lemon shortbread cookies with clean, bright flavor — lemon pudding mix does the work of both zest and starch.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Tender lemon shortbread cookies with clean, bright flavor — lemon pudding mix does the work of both zest and starch.
These lemon shortbread cookies get bright, clean lemon flavor and a tender, sandy crumb from one ingredient — lemon pudding mix in the dough, doing the work of both zest and starch with no bitterness.
Makes
16 cookiesACTIVE TIME
15 minFULL TIME
35 min (including bake)INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 5 Tbsp Fancy Monkey Lemon Pudding Mix
- 2 cups Cake flour
- 1 Tbsp Whole milk
- ½ tsp Fine sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. - Cream butter and sugar
Beat butter and powdered sugar together until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes. - Add pudding mix
Add the Fancy Monkey Lemon Pudding Mix and mix until fully incorporated. - Add flour and milk
Stir in cake flour, milk, and salt just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix — shortbread gets tough if worked too hard. Stop as soon as the dough comes together. - Shape and score
Divide dough into 16 equal portions and place on the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each cookie and score the top with a fork. - Bake and cool
Bake 15–18 minutes until set but not browned — shortbread should stay pale. Cool briefly on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. They irm up as they cool, so don’t judge the texture until fully cooled.
TIPS
Cake flour is non-negotiable — it’s what gives that extra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that sets a great shortbread apart. These are meant to stay pale; color means overdone. Sandwich
two together with Fancy Monkey No-Cook Lemon Curd for a pairing that’s genuinely hard to beat, or dust with powdered sugar just before serving for a classic finish. Dough can be
wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for a month — bake from cold and add 2 minutes to the time. Keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
FAQ
A high butter ratio and low gluten — here lemon pudding mix adds starch that gives that signature sandy, melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
Yes — you can freeze the cookie dough up to 1 month, or freeze the shaped dough and bake from frozen.
It delivers bright, even lemon flavor and tender starch in one ingredient, doing the work of both zest and cornstarch without bitterness.
Chill the dough before slicing or cutting, and chill again on the pan before baking so the cookies hold their shape.
