Lemon shortbread cookies with lemon icing

These wonderful tart and crunchy cookies were made for a special friend's funeral. He was a husband of my coworkers and he always loved and requested these lemon shortbread cookies. He passed away recently and his wife asked me to bake for his memorial service. I was honored and right away I knew I was going to make these special little lemon cookies. I made these cookies along with the Magic Cookie Bars, some red velvet cupcakes & some white cupcakes with a white buttercream icing. Everything turned out beautifully, including the service.

I'll miss you Shoji.

Of course you could leave these cookies unfrosted but the icing is so tart and creamy and just plain delicious. It really adds to the texture and flavor of these cookies.

Lemon Cooler Cookies


Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using electric mixer, cream butter in medium bowl until light. Gradually add both sugars and beat until fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in lemon zest, yolks, extract and salt. Add flour and beat just until blended

Roll dough by tablespoonfuls into balls. Set dough balls onto baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Dip bottom of 2 1/2-inch-round glass into some powdered sugar. Press down onto 1 dough ball, flattening into 1/4-inch-thick round. Repeat with remaining dough balls.

Bake until cookie edges begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Lemon Icing

Softened butter
Lemon Zest
Lemon Juice (use to thin to desirable consistency)
Powdered sugar

Pipe onto cooled cookies