Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies

These Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies are perfect for Valentine's Day - or any day! Surprise your Sweetheart with some homemade sunshine.

Jump to:

• What are Meyer Lemons?
• Lemon Shortbread Ingredients
• How to Make Lemon Shortbread Hearts
• Substitutions
• Storage
• Top Tip
• What to Serve with Lemon Shortbread
• More Citrus & Cranberry Recipes
• Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies

What are Meyer Lemons?

Brief and fleeting, Meyer lemon season is anticipated by cooks and bakers everywhere. But what makes Meyer lemons so special?

Meyer lemons were first introduced to the US in 1908 by agricultural explorer (LOVE that job title!) Frank Meyer of the US Department of Agriculture. It seems Frank brought a sample home with him from a trip to China, where they are often grown ornamentally; however, Meyer lemons didn't take off in culinary circles until the late 1990's, when celebrity chefs "discovered" them and made them popular with their audiences.

Thought to be a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyer lemons bring a bright, naturally sweet, slightly tart punch to everything they touch. In addition to being sweeter than a regular lemon, they are generally smaller, with a scent noses more civilized than mine describe as "a spicy bergamot fragrance that tastes and smells more like an herb or a spice."

Meyer lemons start arriving in US stores around the end of November and disappear by late March.

Lemon Shortbread Ingredients

• Meyer lemons: In the US, Meyer lemon season runs late November to March.
• Dried cranberries: Cranberry and orange make a wonderful pairing; however, any dried fruit can be used in place of the cranberries.
• Butter: For shortbread, always use the best butter you can afford (preferably unsalted). Butter should be room temperature.
• Flour: Use pastry flour if you have it. Pastry flour has a lower protein content than regular flour, and results in lighter, flakier shortbread.
• Confectioners' sugar: i.e., powdered sugar, icing sugar.
• Vanilla: Use vanilla paste, which is more concentrated and less liquidy than vanilla extract. Vanilla extract can also be used.

How to Make Lemon Shortbread Hearts

You can make lemon shortbread dough up to two days ahead of time. Mix the dough and form it into logs, then wrap it tightly in plastic film and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a food processor or blender jar, pulse cranberries and ¼ cup powdered sugar together until cranberries are about the size of coarsely chopped nuts.

The powdered sugar will keep them from getting too clumpy, but don't pulse too long or you will have puree.

Set chopped cranberries aside.

One of the keys to this shortbread recipe is the whipped butter. Make sure the butter is at room temperature. Put it into the mixer bowl, start your mixer and *walk away.*

Cream the butter for no less than 5 minutes before adding anything else. The butter should be very pale before you move on to the next step.

Beat in remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Add vanilla and zest and mix to thoroughly combine. Mix in chopped cranberries.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and mix just until dough forms a ball on comes away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Remove dough from bowl and form into two logs about 1¼" - 1½" in diameter. (Two shorter logs are much easier to work with than one long log.)

Chill the dough log for 1 hour.

How to Make Heart Shaped Logs (optional)

After one hour, remove prepared dough logs from refrigerator.

With the shortbread dough still in plastic wrap, shape the bottom point of the heart by resting the log on a cutting board and using the back of a spatula perpendicularly against a cutting board to form a point.

You will need to rotate the log from one side to the other a couple of times to get it all even.

When you have the bottom point the way you want it, use a large skewer or chopstick to form the indentation opposite the point.

Once your Heart-Log is shaped the way you want, pop it back into the fridge for at least an hour before slicing.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C).

Using a clean, sharp knife, slice cookies ¼- to ⅜-inch thick.

Arrange shortbread slices about ¾" apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven 8-9 minutes, or until just firm.

Watch carefully, and do not allow edges to brown.

Leave the cookies on the pan for about 10 minutes to allow the shortbread to set. After that, remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Substitutions

• Meyer lemons: If you can't find Meyer lemons, use equal parts (zest or juice) lemon and orange/mandarine/tangerines.
• Dried cranberries: Just about any dried fruit can be used in place of the cranberries. (Apricots and pineapple are especially tasty choices.) Choose dried fruits that will remain relatively dry when it it finely chopped.
• Flour: All-purpose flour may also be used.

Storage

Shortbread cookies can be stored in a dry, airtight container for a week at room temperature for up to a week, or in the refrigerator for 10 days.

Freezer: Shortbread cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to return to room temperature before serving.

Top Tip

I cannot emphasize this point enough: The butter must be room temperature. Take the butter of the fridge at least 4 hours before you want to make the cookies. Do not attempt to warm it in the microwave.

What to Serve with Lemon Shortbread

Lemon shortbread cookies are tender, bright, and slightly sweet; a perfect accompaniment for a light dessert. With subtle bergamot notes from the Meyer lemons, these simple tea cookies pair especially well with a cup of Earl Grey! 

More Citrus & Cranberry Recipes

Meyer lemon season is fleeting, so enjoy them while you can! Check out our collection of delicious Meyer Lemon Recipes today! 

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