Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe

On a recent trip to Scotland, I ate my body weight in shortbread. The Scots are known as the originators of shortbread and I was seeking out any new bits of knowledge that could perfect the Miette version. The perfection of this cookie lies not in a secret ingredient, but in quality ingredients. This lemon shortbread recipe takes the tart, fresh flavor of lemons and contrasts it beautifully with the richness of butter. In the walnut variation, the nuts add a wonderful earthy taste that we accentuate with sea salt. It is important to stop mixing just at the point when the dough clumps together. This prevents the cookies from becoming tough. Freezing the dough makes the cookies more crumbly and helps them maintain their shape while baking. Don’t under bake these cookies. They should be golden brown.