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Iced Lemon Shortbread Fingers
This delicious recipe comes to us from MOON friend, excellent baker and frequent contributor, Kristen Fehlhaber.
Ingredients
Shortbread
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch (Rumford is best)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (colored part of the skin)
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Icing
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (colored part of the skin)
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
water as needed
Instructions
1. Prepare the pan: Grease a 9-inch square baking pan or coat with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch.
3. Process aromatics: In a food processor, process the powdered sugar, sugar, and lemon zest until the sugar is yellow and the zest is finely pulverized, about 3 minutes, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides several times.
4. Cream butter: Add the butter, salt, and lemon juice and process until well blended, about 1 minute.
5. Combine: Sprinkle the flour mixture over the butter mixture and process in on/off pulses until well blended and smooth, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides several times.
6. Chill dough: Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap; pat the dough into a 8-inch square. Fold the wrap around the dough. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the dough is cool and slightly firmer.
7. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 300F.
8. Press into pan: Press the dough evenly into the pan. Lay a sheet of wax paper on the dough, then press it out to the edges until the top is flat and smooth. Peel off and discard the paper.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until pale golden all over and just slightly darker at the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until completely cooled.
10. Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the shortbread to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil.
11. FOR THE ICING In a food processor, combine the sugar and lemon zest and process until the sugar is lightly colored and the zest is finely pulverized, about 1 minute, stopping and scraping down the bowl. Add the lemon juice and corn syrup and process until the sugar dissolves. Add the powdered sugar and process until evenly incorporated, scraping down the bowl. Add enough water, a few drops at a time, to yield a fluid but not runny icing.
12. Immediately spread the icing evenly over the shortbread. Let stand for 5 minutes.
13. Carefully trim the edges of the shortbread with a large knife. Cut square into 3 equal portions. Each strip will give you 8 fingers, for a total of 24.
Clean the blade between cuts. Separate the fingers and allow the icing to set for about 1 hour.
Adapted from “The All-American Cookie Book” by Nancy Baggett.
Pair these with a hot cup of tea and enjoy!
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