Lemon Shortbread

Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients
   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well combined. Zest the lemons before juicing them, and set both zest and juice aside.
2. Make the dough
   Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract if using. Mix until the dough comes together, being careful not to overmix.
3. Form and chill the dough
   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) to allow the flavors to meld and the dough to firm up.
4. Prepare for baking
   Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to slightly soften.
5. Roll and cut the cookies
   On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter or your preferred shape, cut out cookies and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used.
6. Finish and bake
   Prick each cookie several times with a fork to prevent them from puffing up during baking. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar or lemon-infused sugar if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. The cookies should remain pale.
7. Cool completely
   Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Shortbread will be quite fragile when hot but will firm up as it cools.