Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies

Why You'll Love This Recipe

These cookies are simple, refreshing, and full of bright flavor. Here are all the reasons they'll be your new summertime favorite.

Easy to make - The dough comes together quickly with simple ingredients and, with just a few hours in the fridge, they bake into beautifully tender and buttery cookies.

Fresh and Flavorful - The combination of lemon and fresh thyme creates light, bright flavor in every bite. These lemon thyme cookies are refreshing and deliciously unique.

Customizable - You can easily switch up the citrus, herbs, shapes, or flour to make the cookies your own.

Perfect for Summer - These lemon and thyme cookies have a light, sunny flavor that makes them perfect for spring and summer get-togethers.

Ingredients and Their Part in the Cookies

These cookies use simple pantry staples along with fresh citrus and herbs for bright flavor. Here's what you'll need:

For the cookies:

• Unsalted butter - Creates the rich, tender shortbread texture.
• Powdered sugar - Sweetens the cookies while keeping them soft and delicate.
• Kosher salt - Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
• Egg yolk - Adds richness and helps bind the dough.
• Fresh lemon juice - Brings bright citrus flavor.
• Vanilla extract - Adds warmth and depth.
• Lemon zest - Gives the cookies bold lemon flavor and aroma.
• Fresh thyme - Adds subtle herbal flavor that pairs beautifully with lemon.
• All-purpose flour - Gives structure while keeping the cookies tender.

For the lemon glaze and toppings:

• Powdered sugar - Creates a smooth, sweet glaze.
• Fresh lemon juice - Adds tangy lemon flavor to the glaze.
• Lemon zest and thyme - Make a beautiful, flavorful garnish.

How to Make Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are simple to prepare and perfect for making ahead.

For the shortbread dough:

1. Place room-temperature butter, powdered sugar, and salt in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped thyme to the butter mixture.
4. Beat until well incorporated.
5. Add flour, about ⅓ at a time.
6. Beat until the dough just comes together, about 1 minute. The dough will be sticky. Note: Avoid over mixing as the cookies will become dense and tough.

Chilling, cutting, and baking:

7. Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll or press into a rectangle that is approximately ¼" thick. Place on a cookie sheet and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
8. Preheat oven to 300°F before removing dough from refrigerator. Remove from fridge and immediately cut out the dough using a 3"-diameter cookie cutter. Tip: Work fast as you don't want the dough to become too warm. You can place the second cookie sheet with unbaked cookies in the fridge while the first one is baking.
9. Prick the center of the cookies with the tines of a fork.
10. Immediately bake the cookies for 20-22 minutes. The bottoms should be a light golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Using parchment paper to roll the dough eliminates the need for flour. This will help keep the dough from drying out and ensure the cookies turn out buttery and tender.

To make lemon glaze:

Prepare glaze while cookies are cooling.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add more as needed until the glaze becomes easy to drizzle.

To finish:

11. Brush cooled cookies with lemon glaze and sprinkle with additional lemon zest and chopped thyme. Allow to set before storing.

Recipe Tips for Success

A few simple tips will help these cookies turn out perfectly every time.

• Use room temperature butter for smooth dough
• Don't overmix the dough or the cookies can become tough
• Roll the dough evenly so the cookies bake consistently
• Chill the dough thoroughly before cutting out
• Cut cookies and bake immediately to help them retain their shape
• Let the glaze fully set before stacking or storing the cookies

Recipe Variations to Make Them Your Own

These cookies are easy to customize with different citrus flavors, herbs, and shapes.

• Lemon - Substitute lime or orange for a different citrus flavor.
• Thyme - Use lemon thyme or substitute mint, basil, lavender, or rosemary.
• Flour - Use gluten-free flour or substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
• Shapes - Use different cookie cutters for holidays, parties, or special occasions.

Make Ahead

This dough is wonderful for making ahead. You can prepare and roll the dough then refrigerate it for several days before baking.

For longer storage, freeze the dough on a cookie sheet for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cutting out and baking.

You can also freeze the baked cookies before glazing. Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Add the glaze after thawing for the freshest presentation.

How to Store the Cookies and How Long They Last

Store glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To prevent the glaze from sticking, place layers of parchment or wax paper between the cookies. You can also refrigerate the cookies for slightly longer freshness.

If freezing glazed cookies, allow the glaze to set completely first, then layer the cookies carefully with parchment paper between them before freezing.

More Citrus Cookie Recipes

If you love bright citrus desserts, here are more delicious cookies to bake.

• Coconut Lime Crisps - Crisp cookies with tropical lime flavor.
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies - Soft lemon cookies with crunchy poppy seeds.
• Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies - Tangy key lime paired with sweet white chocolate.
• Orange Creamsicle Cookies - A nostalgic orange and vanilla treat.
• Orange Pistachio Biscotti - Crunchy biscotti with citrus and nutty flavor.

Find lots of easy cookie recipes right here on 2CM!